On this day in 1852, Emma Snodgrass was arrested in Boston for wearing pants.

Don’t you wonder what possessed Emma to wear pants when she knew it was forbidden? Maybe she just had a stubborn streak. Perhaps it was a demonstration; she wanted to show that she didn’t agree with the weird law. Or maybe she just wanted to be a trendsetter.

Clothes aren’t usually so controversial, but we sure spend hours thinking about them and deciding what to wear. Clothes protect us from the weather, keeping us warm and dry. Clothes also protect us from rough ground, prickly plants, mosquitoes, and sunburn. And, of course, we wear clothes out of modesty.

Over the years, clothes have become much more than coverings. They have become statements of who we are or who we’d like to be. The fashion business is humongous because everyone wants to be in style. Often we wear clothes only because they’re fashionable. Some fashions make no sense, but a designer has an idea and a celebrity or two picks up on it, and soon everyone is wearing it.

Today’s verse says that Christians shouldn’t “copy the behavior and customs of this world.” Some kids find that confusing. Does this mean we shouldn’t wear clothes that are in style? Not really. It’s all right to look good and to be fashionable. The problem comes with we become so focused on stylin’ that we take our eyes off God and forget who we really are. And it’s OK to spend money on clothes, but not too much—not at the expense of tithing and helping others.

A popular phrase says, “Clothes make the person.” But that’s wrong. Who you are is much deeper than what you are wearing. God loves the real you and he wants you to conform to his style on the inside.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is (Romans 12:2).

To Do

Get out an old photo album with pictures of your parents when they were teenagers. Check out the clothing styles. Ask your mom or dad to explain why she or he wore those clothes.

Also on this day

1848—U.S. President James Polk turned on the first gaslight at the White House.

1851—The first Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) was organized in Boston, Massachusetts.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.