Hi, everyone at Ask Your Preacher.  Is it all right for a christian to dress as Goth, Punk, Emo, Metal, or Hip-Hop?

Sincerely,
Alternative And Edgy

Dear Alternative And Edgy,

We have a lot of freedom in what clothes we wear as long as those clothes are:

1. Modest
2. Send the right message about who we are

Whatever your fashion style, immodest clothing is wrong (1 Tim 2:9).  Both men and women need to be very careful to not dress provocatively and inappropriately.

The second issue is that how we dress is a reflection on our character.  Whether we like it or not, all of us have a reaction to someone who has a gigantic skull tattoo on their neck… clothes may not make the man, but they do make people think about the man.  Everything we do should be for the glory of the Lord (1 Cor 9:23).  Whatever your fashion sense is, just make sure it sends the right message.

My boss was "using" me at the office because he had a position of power, and his wife confronted me, and he played dumb about doing anything wrong.  He acts “holier than thou” and has everyone fooled.  I ended up having to quit my job that, I must say, I was pretty good at.  Will God take care of his selfishness on His own?  What scriptures can I read to help me?  He told me never to contact him ever again.  All he does is lie and use people for his own gain.  Thanks.

Sincerely,
Between Jobs

Dear Between Jobs,

God makes sure that everyone has to answer for the choices that they make in this life (1 Pet 4:5); this includes both you and your boss – the truth is bare before God.  Vengeance belongs to the Lord (Rom 12:19).  In the end, if you flee from sin (1 Cor 6:18) and seek God (Heb 7:25), things will work together for your good (Rom 8:28).  In the end, losing this job may be the best thing that ever happened to you – it certainly got you out of a spiritually perilous circumstance.  God will take care of your boss, and now you are free to seek the Lord without hindrance (Heb 11:6).

Why does God allow for people to be born mentally disabled or with different disorders when it is hard enough just being a normal person and having to deal with everyday struggles?

Sincerely,
Compassionate Questioner

Dear Compassionate Questioner,

All disease and illness are a consequence of sin.  When Adam and Eve sinned, their bodies began to die (Gen 2:17).  When mankind was kicked out of the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:24), diseases of all sorts began to creep in.  Mental diseases are just one consequence of that fateful decision that Adam and Eve made.  God didn’t cause these disorders; we did.

On the other hand, God offers eternity without disease.  Heaven will be a place without death, pain, disease, or sorrow (Rev 21:4)… and heaven isn’t only reserved for the brightest and most intelligent.  Because God loves us, anyone can go to heaven and have all their pains and troubles cured (Jhn 3:16).  All we must do to go to heaven is to give God our best down here on earth.  For those suffering with debilitating mental disorders, their situation often means a guaranteed ticket to eternity with God because they are as innocent as children (see the article “Of Sound Mind” for further details).  Because of mankind’s sins, many people will suffer in this life, but we have a fair and just God who will make all hurt disappear in the long run if we place our faith in Him (Jhn 14:6, Rom 10:17, Heb 11:6).

Hello, I have a question.  If God forgives all, why do people go to hell?

Sincerely,
Firefighter

Dear Firefighter,

God is ready and willing to forgive all (Ps 86:5), but we must seek that forgiveness through Christ.  Christ paid the price, so all the world would have a way to escape hell (Jhn 3:16).  However, if we don’t take advantage of the gift that He gave, we will still be lost.  There is no sin so big that God won’t forgive it if we honestly seek Him… but we must seek Him (Heb 11:6).  We are saved by faith in Christ (Eph 2:8, Rom 10:17), but that means we must trust Christ.

Think of it like someone drowning in the ocean.  A lifeguard throws them a life preserver, but the drowning person must grab that life preserver in order to be saved.  Jesus’ death on the cross is our life preserver.  We must grab it; otherwise, we will be lost.

This is sort of difficult.  It concerns my uncle, who, over the last few years, has... rediscovered his faith?  I suppose that works.  He's completely changed his lifestyle, which isn't a bad thing.  No smoking, no drinking.  Fantastic.  However, he's also completely changed his personality.  He has a growing list of things he can't watch, listen to, or say, all because he's “christian".  He's become so... judgmental of everyone around him and is alienating his family.  I wasn't under the impression that to be "christian" you had to give up everything in life that you enjoyed.  He doesn't laugh anymore; at least, he doesn't around us.  Can you give me any guidance on how to respect his faith and understand his choices?  He was always a good man… an EMT, police officer, husband, and father.  He's always believed, but he also lived.  Now, it's like he's set himself, and everyone else, to standards that can't be met.  And he's very vocal with his views.  I just don't understand him anymore.  Any advice or insight you could give would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Disheartened Niece

Dear Disheartened Niece,

There is a fine line between removing worldliness from our lives and secluding ourselves from life – it sounds like your uncle may be having trouble finding that balance.  Jesus clearly tells us to purify our hearts and minds (Jas 4:8).  However, we are also told to enjoy the wholesome blessings of this life (Eccl 3:13).  Christ lived a perfectly sinless life (Heb 4:15), and yet, he was often accused of being too friendly with the lost (Matt 11:19).

There is a balance between living in the world, but not being of the world (1 Cor 5:9-10).  If we remove ourselves from all society, we will never be able to reach those who so desperately need God’s Word (Mk 16:15).  We are warned against religion that finds its strength in self-deprecation (1 Tim 4:1-5).  Our strength should be found in the love of Christ (Jhn 3:16) and in His Word (Rom 10:17).  Hopefully, some of these verses might allow you to have a dialogue with your uncle.