Since the beginning of my ministry I have wrestled with the question of what to wear to Church. To those who do not go to Church, worrying about what to wear may sound like a petty topic. Yet to those within the Church, it is so easily divisive. I’ve had conversations with individuals all along the spectrum when it comes to this question. I had a gentleman frustrated by the lack of respect in the church today by people who refuse to dress up. “Turn on a basketball game and all the coaches wear a coat and tie” he told me one Sunday. To him, it was a lack of respect for God to wear anything less than a coat and tie.

On the other hand, I’ve also been to churches where everyone is wearing shorts and a t-shirt. (Except the minister, he had jeans and a t-shirt.) There are many reasons some have for not dressing up, none of which have a thing to do with disrespecting God.

Bob Russell always wore a coat and tie when he preached at Southeast in Louisville, KY. Before he retired they brought Kyle Idleman on staff, and he did not. Kyle did not feel comfortable in a coat and tie and simply wore dress pants with a collared shirt. When Bob talked to him about it, he asked Kyle a simple question. “If you were going to see the President of the United States, wouldn’t you wear a coat and tie?” Kyle’s reply was simple, “Not if he was my dad”.

Scripture teaches there are two natures at the core of God; God is holy and God is love.

Those who dress up with a coat and tie emphasize God’s holiness. He is the almighty God, creator and sustainer of the universe and deserves nothing less than our absolute best, both in heart and dress. No one dares go before the President in shorts and a t-shirt, same goes for approaching the King of the universe.

Those who wear shorts and a t-shirt tend to emphasize God is love. He is a loving and caring father. He is a best friend. He loves us no matter what and we should be very comfortable going before Him wearing whatever.

So the question is, which is correct. My answer… Both.

God is not one or the other, He is both. There are times God needs to call me on my junk and be the Most High King of all who does not tolerate sin. Period. There are times when I must simply fall in fear and awe of the God of all creation because, though he is my father, he is also God and my King worthy of all respect and honor.

Then there are time when I need a loving hug from my dad. I need God, as a dad, to wrap me in His arms, hold me, and never let me go. I need a friend and a father; I need to come as I am in a very personal way. I need someone I can go to anytime and anywhere regardless of what I look like.

Neither is wrong, both are right. We must not judge others for their outward appearance, but reflect on our mindset as we come before God. We must be careful not to see God in one way or the other, but to know Him intimately enough to know both sides of who He is.

Whether you wear a coat and tie, or shorts and t-shirt, remember Hosea 6:6. “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” It’s not about what you wear; it’s about knowing God.

As a minister, it’s a little different. At the churches I’ve been a part of, they expect the minister to be dressed up more than others. Is that reasonable? Absolutely.

In the Old Testament, the priests made sacrifices and went before God on behalf of the people. God is very specific concerning the attire of the priest. Even down to the material of the cloth they were to use. Now I realize we are no longer under the Old Testament law. However, I believe there is a principle here, which is still true today, for those who work in the temple, or church. Not everyone is called to be a minister. In the Old Testament, only select people could work in the temple and I believe Paul has the same idea of Elders and Ministers.

I do not in the least want to come across as legalistic. Everything can be taken too far to the point of legalism. (Jesus criticized the religious leaders of his day for being legalistic.) Yet I truly believe there is a principle underlaying the dress code of the priest.

They were supposed to be different, set apart, working in the temple of the King Most High. It is not a task to be taken lightly. I believe there is a process to getting in the right mindset for ministers today. We must understand the significance of the task set before us and not approach it as we do everything else, while at the same time not thinking too highly of ourselves to get down in the dirt and serve others. The whole purpose of the priest was to serve the children of God.