A Passion for Fashion in New York

Q: Hello I am from NY, and I am a born again believer. I am trying to devote my life to Christ in anyway that I can. The thing is I really like fashion. I love buying clothes and sneakers, but I do not put shopping before God and my other priorities. I was wondering if loving fashion is unpleasing to God? For instance I sometimes camp out in front of stores to catch new sneaker releases because I don't want to have to pay $200 + the next day to resellers when they are sold out. Is a passion for fashion a sin? please help...

A: Thank you for your question. You have already answered your question in my opinion. You said that you do not put shopping before God and your other priorities. That being the case, it would seem that God has the priority in your life. Loving fashion is not unpleasing to God because your love for fashion has not become a god to you. It is not a sin to want to by clothing. However, there are some questions to ask yourself. Why are you so consumed by fashion? Is there a need you are trying to fulfill through clothes, sneakers and camping out in front of stores to get great deals? If fashion were removed from your life and you couldn't fill the desire you have for fashion would you fall apart mentally, emotionally and spiritually? If you've answered "yes" to any of these questions, you might be putting your love for fashion ahead of your relationship with Jesus. The Bible says that "everything that does not come from faith is sin (Romans 14:23)." Therefore, if your love for fashion is taking the place of those things you desire in your relationship with Jesus, then it has reached the level of sin. Only you can make that determination, however. But, rest assured that God is still faithful to you and is not counting any sin against you.

One thing to realize is that the goal of the Christian life is to learn to trust in and depend on the Lord. Therefore, your concern over the place your love for fashion has in your life is a blessing. It may be through seeking this answer that you will discover a deeper understanding of who Jesus Christ is and what He has given to you as a result of your faith in Him. As a born again believer you have God indwelling you through the restoration of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, your life is not so much about you devoting yourself to God, but about God's devotion to you. I am not as into fashion as you appear to be. However, I know what it feels like to have the latest fashions and get the most for my money. When I was younger, nothing made me feel better than to have on a fresh pair of sneakers and a new outfit. All the attention was on me. It made me feel good and, of course, my pride got a nice boost. It was all about me. I wanted nothing more than to look better than everyone else and be the focus of everybody. Looking back on all that, my attitude was completely selfish and not focused on the Lord. In fact, for most of that time in my life I did not even know the Lord as my Savior. The Lord is something you are fortunate to have in your life right now.

One of the benefits of faith in Jesus Christ is that we can "approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16)."Why can you approach God with confidence? It is because "God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them (2 Corinthians 5:19)." You are forgiven of all of your sins. Therefore, you can go to God and ask Him why your love for fashion is troubling you and making you believe it may even be a sin. He will comfort you and restore you so that you will learn to put fashion in its proper place in your life. Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:27)." If you don't have peace about your relationship with God, it is not from the Lord. Lack of peace leads to fear. Fear comes from the thought that your sins separate you from God and He is not loving you and will punish you. The byproduct is that you walk around troubled and afraid, uncertain of what may come. None of that is from the Lord. There may be a way that God can use your love for fashion in ways similar to the way He is apparently using others who love fashion.

Have you ever heard of Chelsea Eubank? Chelsea is a young, Christian lady who wanted to honor God after He supported her through a difficult time in her life. According to her website, Chelsea "wanted to wear something that showed her faith but she couldn't find anything in the market place that reflected her preppy, trendy style." Thus, she started a company called Faithful Fish in order to "make wearing your faith cool" and help "Christianity become more mainstream." Like you, Chelsea had a passion for fashion and used it as a vehicle to share the love of Jesus Christ. While you are a consumer of fashion and she is a producer of it, you both have a love for the Lord. God is using Chelsea's love for fashion to His glory and there is nothing preventing Him from using your passion for His glory as well. How that works is between you and Him. Be encouraged that your love for fashion does not have to be extinguished by the Lord or in conflict with Him. The Bible says, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31)." Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God. I pray this has helped you. Grace and peace.