In the last century there has been quite the fashion show from teens to adults alike, and it seems that music was its companion. Come down memory lane with me and I think you will find it very amusing! There have always been people who have been into the latest fads, mostly teens and young adults, while others may have been forced to go along with it, because that was the style of clothes that were made. In the Roaring 20’s during the Jazz Era the flapper dresses were worn by women, and by the 30’s they wore big puffy sleeves, and men always wore a hat. By the 40’s, came the Big Band Era, the war came along and women wore more casual dresses, and the best dressed men wore uniforms for the red white and blue. And if Uncle Sam didn’t call you yet, then the guys were wearing the Zoot Suit. In the 50’s Rock and Roll was the theme and it brought about a new look, the poodle skirt. Now that was the cat’s meow! And you can’t forget those saddle shoes.The men wanted to look like Elvis Presley with the leather jackets, and slick back hair. The 60’s, also called the British Invasion, because groups like the Beatles and others came over, (as they say) “from over the pond,” and were a big hit here in the states. The guys had Beatle haircuts, the girls wore Go Go Boots and mini skirts. Jackie Kennedy wore her pill box hats and it became a hit. The 60’s gave birth to the Hippies and Love Power was everywhere, and guys and gals alike wore flower shirts, and what they called Hippie Beads. Folk music told the story, and the people told it by protesting, from the Vietnam War, to Civil Rights were all on the agenda, in music and on the streets. In the 70’s everything went country, from boots to hats to music. Not into the country look ? Then try the bell bottom pants, and long straight hair, a carry over from the late 60’s and Disco Dancing was the fad with R&B groups leading the way.. The 80’s, we had Princess Diana and padded shoulders in every dress and blouse. We had Rock to Hip Hop and it seemed like we were preparing to go into the next century. The 90’s the plaids were in and don’t worry if you were short, because platform shoes were in again. Rock was losing its roll, and Hip Hop was giving way to the Rapper. By the 21st Century, women made their own fashion statement, and the same with the guys. Where once you would dress up in formal wear to go out for the evening or to a special occasion, now everyone goes casual. Once you would not wear stripes and polka dots together, now anything goes. A new generation of music and artists now lead the way. The new century brought in a whole new way from fashion to music to even the way we speak. It is always good to look back and see how we got to today. There is never anything wrong with history as long as it is told in the true light. But there is one thing that never changes and that is we can be the best dressed person in the room and still have one thing missing and that is we forgot to dress our hearts. Our heart is who we are, not our outer appearance, but our inner appearance. This is who we truly are. We are not a storefront window that we can make to look appealing. We can not hide who we are by dressing in the latest style, or by speaking the latest lingo. We can even try to hang out with the right people, in the right places, and still be all wrong. We must be real in who we are and we can only do that if our hearts are right. There is one thing that has never changed and that is the Word of God. Now, hear me out, because the Word of God is truth, that has made the well dressed man and woman for thousands of years. It is who we are inside that draws people to us or causes them to shun us. We speak about the condition of the world, but not about the condition of our hearts. We must love one another and live in unity, but this only happens when we accept people and that also means accepting their opinion. You do not need to agree with their opinion, but we must respect one another as human beings. Colossians 3:12-15 tells us how we are to dress our hearts, “Put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so must you do also. In addition to all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Messiah, to which you were indeed called in one body, rule in your hearts; and be thankful.”
To dress our hearts properly we must first take off the old garments which cover our heart. Colossians 3:8-10 tells us how. “But now you also, rid yourselves of all of them, (sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.) : anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you stripped off the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self.”
Only when our hearts are dressed properly on the inside can we look good on the outside, because then we are really who we say we are.