‘Clothes Make the Man!’ Well, Yes and No

The adage tells us, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” That’s true. A poorly designed cover doesn’t necessarily mean the contents of the book aren’t worthwhile. Likewise, even the most captivating cover doesn’t guarantee the pages inside are worth turning. But in today’s visually oriented world, a book’s cover can be a major factor in a potential reader’s decision about whether to pick up the book and consider what’s inside. 

 

I remember when USA Today debuted in the early 1980s, with its emphasis on strong photos and colorful graphics. It set newspaper page designers scrambling. The only way newspapers could successfully compete with TV and computer imagery was to create pages that were visually compelling as well as content-rich.

 

What it boils down to is our human tendency to make snap judgments based on outward appearance. We do this with cars, houses, appliances, magazines, and just about anything else– especially people. 

It might not be fair – or accurate – to formulate initial conclusions about folks based on their external appearances, but we do it all the time. If someone were to walk up to us with ketchup stains or chocolate smeared on his or her outfit, we’d probably conclude this was not a fastidious dresser. Their clothes might taste good, but it wouldn’t appear they dress in good taste.

 

Remember the TV detective of years ago, “Columbo”? He used outward appearance misconceptions to his advantage. He’d show up in a rumbled trench coat, stumbling and muttering along like he couldn’t find his way out of a three-foot tunnel. Yet by the end of the show, he would have deftly solved the mystery to the amazement of all.

 

When I was entering the business world, I encountered the book, Dress for Success. Its simple thesis was that to make a favorable impression, we should take pains to wear appropriate attire. I was reminded of this recently when a friend, a clothier, wrote, “Be careful what you wear, because it tells the world what you think of yourself.”

 

This is hardly a new concept. In William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” Polonius tells his son Laertes to dress well because, “apparel oft proclaims the man.” In that day, clothing would reveal an individual’s rank and status in society. American writer and humorist Mark Twain had his own take on this observation. He said, “Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” 

 

But long before Twain, or even Shakespeare, this annoying tendency to judge people based on the first impressions they make was well-established. When the prophet Samuel was directed to go to Jesse and identify from among his sons the successor to Israel’s King Saul, the prophet thought several of the young men fit the bill – based on their physical traits. But God saw things differently.

 

Speaking about one of the sons, He told Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

 

Since God hadn’t chosen any of the sons Jesse presented, the perplexed prophet asked, “Are these all the boys?” To which Jesse replied, “The youngest is still left, but behold, he is tending the sheep” (1 Samuel 16:11). This “youngest” was David, then a humble shepherd boy. He might have been voted “least likely to become a king” in Shepherd Today magazine. Nevertheless, Samuel insisted that Jesse send for David to join them.

 

When David arrived, Samuel saw that he was “glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features” (1 Samuel 16:12). Certainly not bad on the eyes, but this wasn’t what God wanted. Upon deciding Saul was unfit to serve as king over Israel, the Lord had declared He was seeking “a man after His own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14).

 

Speaking to religious leaders in Pisidian Antioch, the apostle Paul confirmed this. “After removing Saul, [God] made David their king. He testified concerning him, ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will do everything I want him to do’” (Acts 13:22). 

 

What does this say to us today? It’s not saying that the way we appear outwardly is insignificant. However, what the Lord is seeking most of all is men and women, boys and girls, whose hearts are aligned with His own, who desire to serve Him, obey His commands, and carry out His will.

 

In effect, this is a double-edged sword for us. We’re not to be quick to judge others based on what we observe outwardly. We should ask God to enable us to discern what’s happening on the inside – their heart and motivations. 

At the same time, as “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20), we shouldn’t let our own outward appearances become stumbling blocks for others by causing negative first impressions. As people of “the Book,” we want to ensure that our “covers” don’t turn folks away from checking out what’s inside.  

It’s All About Appearances

How do you look to other people? Do you even care? Most of us do care, unless we count ourselves among the infinitesimal number of folks who are so self-possessed that they care not one whit what others think of them. Chances are, you’re not one of those.

Want proof? For starters, how often do you look in a mirror over the course of a typical day? How much time do you spend wondering what to wear, whether it’s for a trip to the mall, going to work, preparing for an evening out, attending church, or even working out at the gym?

How we look on the inside
matters medically, and
spiritually as well.

Speaking of church, have you ever had a “spirited” disagreement with your spouse in the car on the way to worship, but upon arriving in the parking lot and exiting the car, you became all grins as friends and fellow worshipers greeted you? Instantly we plaster what a friend calls our “Sunday smiles” on our faces. Have to make sure we and the kids look like the got-it-all-together family!

This time of year, clothing stores display rack after rack of dresses and sweaters, blouses, ties and shoes for holiday parties, confident their customers need to look just right. Shops like Victoria’s Secret, which has perfected the art of making mountains out of molehills, certainly grasp the importance of appearances. Women’s makeup is a multi-billion dollar industry, and while most men eschew makeup, we still have many grooming options.

Slogans like “clothes make the man” and “dress for success” underscore the conviction that how we appear on the outside affects our pursuit of happiness. Before televised awards shows, discussion usually focuses on what some celebrity is wearing and how she (most of the time) or he looks.

But it’s not just about clothes, makeup and hairdos. A reality of political debates is we not only want to know what the candidates have to say, but also how they present themselves in public. During the opening 2012 Presidential debate, Barack Obama looked lethargic and disengaged compared to opponent Mitt Romney. In the next debate, however, Obama came out hyper-engaged and energetic. (There’s no report on whether this was due to a pep talk, or how many Red Bulls or 5-Hour Energy drinks he downed before that second outing.)

The news media piously proclaim it doesn’t matter what size or shape someone is, even shining the spotlight on plus-size models and actresses. But when do you remember seeing an obese news anchor or morning talk show host? Rarely, because…it’s all about appearances.

We have become fixated on how we look to others. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, maybe it shouldn’t be that way. It’s certainly not that way with God.

A classic example is when God sent the prophet Samuel to find a successor to King Saul, who himself once passed the “look test” but proved hopelessly inept for leading the nation of Israel. Samuel carefully examined each of Jesse’s sons and thought, “Surely this is the one…or that one.” But the Lord kept saying, “Nope, not that one. Him neither.”

In desperation the prophet turned to Jesse and asked, “Well, Pops, is this all of your sons?” To which Jesse replied, “Well, there is one more – the youngest one, David. But he spends his time with the sheep and, frankly, he’s kinda dirty and stinks. I doubt he’s the one you’re looking for.”

Samuel insisted, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives” (1 Samuel 16:11). Immediately upon David’s arrival, God told the prophet, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.” Not that David was hard on the eyes – verse 12 says, “He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features.” But apparently to the human eye he lacked the “kingly” look.

The key passage states, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). So it’s not the outward appearance, but rather what’s going on inside that matters from His perspective.

We can make ourselves look great externally, but the important question for God surrounds what’s going on within our hearts, our motives. As Proverbs 21:2 declares, “All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart.”

This isn’t to say we shouldn’t be concerned at all with how we appear externally. Hygiene is important. Makeup properly applied helps to accentuate a woman’s best features. For a job interview we want to dress properly to make a good impression on a prospective employer. But from God’s perspective, what we see isn’t necessarily what we get.

Jesus, never one to mince words, spoke this rebuke to religious leaders of His day: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matthew 23:27-28).

So what’s our response? How do we go about making sure our inward appearance is as good – or better – than our outward appearance? King David, in repenting of his own heinous sins, offered a prayer we might well consider ourselves: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

That might be the way to ensure we look good both inside and out.

Dressing for Success – or Failure?

School has resumed in many states, and will soon in others. I can remember when Labor Day was not only a commemoration of hard work, but also the artificial demarcation between summer vacation and the start of a new school year. Now school has already been in session for nearly a month by the time Labor Day arrives.

The commencing of another school year also means the renewal of issues that administrators and school boards confronted the previous year. One of those is the school dress code: What is appropriate to wear – and what is not.

Being a teacher in a tank top
can be a 'tank-less" jobs.

What surprised me recently was reading that several states have had to enact dress codes…for teachers.

Seems the problem of short shorts, bare midriffs, tank tops, holey jeans and flip-flops is not exclusive to students. Some teachers seem to delight in dressing in slovenly attire as well.

We often hear about rebellious students and teachers frantically trying to maintain control in the classroom. My dad always used to say that if you dressed like a slob, people would treat you like a slob. Apparently students believe that about their teachers.

Years ago Dress for Success became a bible about what to wear – and what not to wear – to advance in the business world. Fashions have changed through the three decades since, to the point where “business casual” now seems the height of workplace fashion, but the principle still holds true. We make an impression – a lasting one, for good or ill – by how we initially look to people.

It’s true “you can’t judge a book by its cover,” but when was the last time you bothered to read a book that looked like its cover was designed in a garbage can?

Problems in public schools today are many and complex, but it seems to me at the very least, if teachers want to be respected and listened to so their students will learn from them, the least they could do is dress in a manner that’s worthy of respect.

Proverbs 10:17 says, “He who heeds discipline shows the way to life….” Carefully, thoughtfully selecting what to wear when you’re seeking to inspire students toward better lives would be good discipline.