These People with Long Hair
During the Jesus Movement in the 1970's many people out of the hippie
generation met Jesus. They wore long hair and tattered clothing. Some had big
holes in their pants. At one particular church the older saints complained, "We
have all these people with long hair in our church." In those days it was called
"ungodly" for a man to have long hair. People came to the pastor, saying, "You
have to do something about these people with long hair. These guys are coming
into the church and getting saved. They can't wear long hair anymore. It is
ungodly." He replied, "No. I am not going to do anything about it except I am
going to talk to them. I am not going to tell them they can't wear long hair."
The pastor met with the "hippies" and said, "I want you in the next week to ask
the Holy Spirit why you are wearing long hair, and then we are going to talk."
A week later they met again. A number of them sat together. The pastor asked
each one in the group, "What is God saying to you about your hair?" One person
said, "Well, God is saying to me to cut the hair." Another person responded,
"The Holy Spirit is telling me I can keep my hair the way it is."
After he had gone through the entire room and asked each person what God said,
about 60 percent of the people said the Holy Spirit, by the grace of God, told
them to cut their hair. Forty percent of the people had received instruction by
the Holy Spirit to leave the hair the way it was.
Was God confused? He gave different instructions to one set of people.
Then this pastor asked a second question. He said, "Tell me the reason why the
Holy Spirit told you to cut your hair." 60 percent of the people, without fail,
said, "The reason the Holy Spirit told me to cut my hair was because I was angry
with society, with politicians and I was angry with my mother and father. There
was anger on the inside of me, and I let my hair grow because I wanted to make a
statement against society. I wanted to stand up and say, `I will do whatever I
want to do."'
Then he looked at the other 40 percent of them and said, "So, what about you?
Why have you grown your hair long?" They said, "Because we like long hair. It's
cool. It looks good."
God is not as concerned about style as we are. If you like long hair, keep long
hair. But if the reason why you have long hair is rooted out of rebellion in
your heart, then you need to cut it. This is the grace of God. We cannot judge
another person because they do not act and talk like us.
But we say, "I am going to teach you the Word of God." Teaching someone else the
Word of God involves teaching them to listen to the Holy Spirit. Then they will
know what to do because their hearts have been molded and changed by that
wonderful grace on the inside, the grace of God. When the grace of God has
changed your heart you desire to pray. You desire to tithe because you want to
give Him everything. Let the law of God be written on the inside of you. Let
your heart speak.
Youngren, David. Life From the Inside Out. Oshawa: Harvest International
Ministries, 2004, p. 46-48.