Where To Shop?

Tonight, the girls will be getting together in the Loft for Crash Choices Camp-In (Gals). They'll be talking about choices they are faced with, and how to be awesome women of God. In honor of this event, I'm going to answer a question, rather a couple questions, that have to do with choices. The questions are, "Are brands like Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch sinful?" and, "Should Hot Topic be shopped at?" These are all great questions. We all decide where we want to shop. It's good to know what the Bible says about where it's OK to shop at. It's all about the choices we make.

These are, in my opinion, the same question, really the question is, "Where can I shop? Can I buy things from places like Hollister, A&F or Hot Topic?" My first thought, gut answer, is I have no idea. This is probably not the answer you are looking for, but I really don't know. God never says (at least to my knowledge), "Thou shalt not shop at Hollister, Abercrombie & Fitch or Hot Topic. But C28 & Family Christian Bookstore are OK to shop at." But on second thought, I do believe that God gives us guidelines to make good choices, this includes where to shop. For instance, 2 Timothy 2:22 says, "Run from anything that stimulates youth lusts..." This may mean that if the advertisements for a particular store cause you to lust, then maybe it's not the best place to shop. But maybe it doesn't bother you; maybe it doesn't make you lust; maybe it's OK to shop at.

But here's another guideline, 1 Corinthians 10:31-32, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God..." If a particular store only sells clothes that are immodest & don't cover everything then maybe that's not the best store to shop at. If you get something from there that's immodest, and you wear it, it may cause your friends, the people at school and the people at church to lust after you. This is making them stumble. Verse 31 says, whatever you do, this includes where you shop, do it for the glory of God. I can't imagine buying something that will make others lust is glorifying to God.

The last thing I want to say is this, there are organizations, and places you can shop at which will help other people. For example, the company Tom's Shoes, donates one pair of shoes to someone in need for every pair that you buy. The organization "(Red)" has partnered with many companies like The Gap and Starbucks to sell products where a portion of the money goes to help people across the world. This is definitely glorifying to God. This is definitely loving God and loving others.

I can't tell you where you can and can't shop. But I can say God cares about our character. He cares about the "why". It's all about the choices we make. That's why it is so important to think through the choices we make, including where we're going to shop at.