Modesty: More than what you wear

So, this may be a slightly controversial topic for my first blog post to be about, but it is a subject I have been thinking about a lot lately, and am really passionate about, so I’m just going to go for it!

My aunt owns a bridal shop, and at the weekend I was listening to her telling my other aunt about teenage girls who have been coming into her shop to order their prom dresses for the summer. I was listening to her telling my aunt how they come in asking for 'that side slit to be higher’ and the ‘neckline to be lower’ and the ‘back to be dropped’ until I was wondering whether they would have any dress left! This really got me thinking, though, about how the standard of dressing in our society these days is so low! More and more girls are going out wearing less and less, and most people don’t even bat an eyelid! But I believe that as Christian women, we should be different. That as Believers, we have an example to set.

So, what is modesty? I love the quote ‘Modesty isn’t about a dress code. It’s an attitude of the heart.’ I think a lot of people, when they think about modesty, think of a set of rules telling you what you can or can’t wear, which are just for certain groups of people or religions, like the Amish or Muslims. Or something from biblical times which isn’t relevant to us today. But modesty is not actually a set of rules - the length of your dress, the cut of your top, how tight your jeans are – or even for one group of people. Modesty is an issue of the heart - a mind-set - which comes from wanting to honour God with your body as well as your life, and from that mind-set should come wanting to dress appropriately and in a modest way. God isn’t after us being legalistic, God is after our heart. Ultimately, It’s about our intentions and our focus – whether it’s on us and others, or on Him.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, ^‘’or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.’’

We see in this verse, that our bodies aren’t actually our own. They belong to God, and so it is our duty to glorify God with our bodies. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit – does that not make you think about what you wear and whether what you are wearing is fit for a temple of the Holy Spirit? Not only is modesty about honouring God, but it is also about showing humility. Showing that you aren’t seeking to impress others, or that you can ‘’pull-off’’ different looks or that you can cause others to notice you, or even that you have a lovely body. It is also about love for God and love for your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

I don’t think we realize, but dressing inappropriately can create a stumbling block for our brothers in Christ. And I don’t want to have the responsibility of helping cause a brother to stumble. I think one of the main reasons young women in today’s society dress so inappropriately, is to receive the attention of guys. Well, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to attract any guy by showing off my body. If a guy loves me because of my body, his love is not for the right reason. Instead, a guy should love you for who you are – for your personality. Don’t lower your standards. God will see your heart, and will bless you for dressing in a way that is pleasing to Him.

 In 1 Timothy 2:9* it says – ‘’in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing,’’ Now this verse isn’t actually saying that we can’t braid our hair or wear pearls or gold. In biblical times, the women wore jewellery to draw attention to themselves. So it is not saying that you can’t dress to look nice. It's just saying, don't dress in a way which draws attention to yourself. And the word ‘adorn’ actually means ‘to make more beautiful or attractive’. So it's not even saying that you can't take care of your appearance. You ARE allowed to take care of your appearance and it’s OK to want to look your best, but just with modesty and in a way that is pleasing to God. 

So I want to challenge you today to think about what you wear. Is what you wear honouring God and your body? Why do you wear what you wear? Is it to please God, or others? Is it to glorify you, or to glorify God?

To summarize:

·         Modesty is an issue of the heart, not a set of rules.

·         Modesty is about dressing in a way that is pleasing and honourable to God, whatever that means to you.

·         Dressing modestly is about showing humility and love for your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. 

·         Modesty is an attitude, a mind-set.

·         It is okay to look after your appearance and to want to look your best, as long as it is in a way that is pleasing to God.                                                                                            

                                                                

 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - ^‘’or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.’’

Thank you for reading and please leave a comment below on what you thought of today’s post. I would love to hear your feedback and also receive any questions you may have!

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Love in Christ,

Chloe xxx