Let Us Have A Little Decorum --- No, Let Us Have A Whole Lot!

Over the past sixty plus years, this writer has observed a gradual decline of decorum in our society. According to the dictionary, decorum is defined as "dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc; the quality or state of being decorous, or exhibiting such dignified propriety; orderliness; regularity" (source).

We see the lack of decorum in our public schools (they used to have a dress code, didn't they? - see article); church assemblies (echoing the "come as you are" mantra - very little honor and respect for man or God); the public square (ever notice the lack of proper clothing worn in grocery stores and mall outlets lately?). What clothing (or the lack thereof) some folks are wearing to funerals these days, indicates a dramatic lack of decorum, showing very little respect for the deceased or their family.

While eating breakfast with some Christian friends this morning, I noticed a very attractive woman in the company of a man (I'm guessing her husband) sitting three tables across from where we were sitting. She was wearing tight, form-fitting clothing, wearing a v-neck t-shirt which openly displayed her abundant feminine attributes (not unlike this low-cut dress). My late wife, Nancy, would never have been caught in public wearing such ungodly attire. She had a far greater sense of decorum than that. Obviously, this woman had very little respect for herself or the man she was with, because she was advertising her wares to the other men in the restaurant. However, the man she was with did not seem to care, because he had his eyes glued to his smartphone. Perhaps that is why she was putting her body on display for others, for he had no interest in her at all.

Beloved, the power of our positive Christian influence in the public arena, cannot be overstated. Even if folks around us don't seemingly care how they look, as God's representatives, let us have a little decorum — no, let us have a whole lot! 

Note the clear rules of decorum being formulated for future presidential press conferences here.

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets