In the Light of Eternity

I was sitting on the front row beside my husband (associate pastor) during a typical Sunday morning worship service. Dressed in my Sunday best I was proudly wearing a brand new skirt and blazer set given to me by one of my new friends from the church. Having only been at the church a few weeks it was so nice to have connected with someone on such a level. And to top it off, the set fit my barely 5 foot frame perfectly! The skirt hit me square in the middle of my knee and the blazer fell perfectly over my hips. With black nylons and a pair of black heels I felt put together!

Service was in full swing with the pastor up front receiving the offering. And then suddenly I felt someone at my side. I turned and looked at the woman beside me. She murmured that she had been sent to me by the pastor’s wife. And before I could say a word, she lifted a blanket and covered me from my shoulders to my ankles. “Your skirt is way too short,” she said and then she walked away hurriedly.

I felt heat flush my face and I knew my face was red. Even though I was not looking, the congregation of more than 500 surely had a fair share of heads turned toward me. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Craig was out handling some other situation so he had not witnessed the “covering.” All I knew was I needed to get out of there.

I waited until the pastor was praying over the offering then I jumped up and made my escape. As I hurried out, head down, I (for the first time) took notice of what the senior pastor’s wife and deacons’ wives were wearing. They all had long to the ankle skirts and their tops were all flowing, not fitted like my blazer. Tears stung my eyes as I made my way to the restroom. I was humiliated.

When we arrived at the church no one handed me a manual or list of dos and do nots. It was with my “mess ups” and misunderstandings that would enlighten someone to “show me the light.” Generally it was always done in a public arena. And there was never an explanation until I finally sat down with the senior pastor’s wife and asked for one.

What it came down to was preference and culture. And although I did not share in her convictions or taste I had no problem accommodating them once a week. It just wasn’t a heaven or hell issue for me so I was not going to turn it into one. The main thing was souls, and I was not about to hinder that in any way.

I once heard Cathy Lechner say, “In the light of eternity is it going to matter?” In this case, I did ask myself that question. Of course the answer was a resounding, “No.” I try to ask myself that question any time such a dilemma may arise. Generally, it shuts me down soon after.

I have started to ask myself that question a lot more. For instance, when someone asks me what I think of tattoos on people in leadership, casual dress in the church or on the platform, earrings on pastors, etc., I ask myself, “In the light of eternity is it going to matter?” Then I make the decision to judge the spiritual fruit.

When I see a pastor lead fifty people to Christ on Sunday morning and disciple them, who am I to care whether he wears a three piece suit (or does not) or has his wife’s name tattooed on his arm? Or from a woman’s perspective, does it matter if she wears slacks, or is the one doing the preaching? Does it matter? If the heart is pure, and we are subjecting ourselves to God, His Word and the Holy Spirit, then our motives and actions will be pleasing to him.

John 15:5, (The Message) says "Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me.”

According to this scripture, fruit cannot be produced if we are not joined to or connected to the vine (Christ). What is fruit? Souls, works, servant acts, obedience, etc. If we are not joined to the Vine, no matter what we do (wear a suit, sing hymns only, etc.) we will not produce fruit.

My desire is to have the heartbeat of God, to please Him, obey Him, to bear fruit representative of Him, fruit that remains. Because after all, in the light of eternity, that is what matters!

Comments

[Karen]

All I can really add to this is...AMEN!!

I was raised in some VERY conservative churches, where outward appearance was a determining factor on how spiritual one was...I am so thankful the Lord set me free from this mindset in my later years, and while I still dress rather modestly by some standards, the question you posed of "In the light of eternity is it going to matter?" is one that should be engraved in our hearts....