The Beauty in Modesty

We were at the beach recently at a restaurant with our good friends, Jake and Emily. We were told we would have to wait an hour for a table, so we decided since it would be so long we would just go outside and wait. Well, apparently that night there was a party and there were tons of dressed up couples coming out of the restaurant. Tyler and Jake kept laughing at the way some of the guys were dressed. Some of them had pants that were way too short, or way too tight. Some of them were wearing black pants with navy shoes, and just crazy things like that. But I noticed that out of all the girls, there wasn’t a single one that was dressed in a way that covered herself. As we were sitting there watching them walk out, I couldn’t help but feel so burdened for them. When they got dressed, I’m sure they didn’t see anything wrong with it. They probably put it on and walked out the door as if it was normal to dress that way. Because it is.

It is normal to dress immodestly these days. Whenever you walk in a store, especially when the weather gets warmer, there are very few items that you can just buy and wear with nothing added. From shorts and dresses that show just about everything, to tops with plunging necklines, that is the new normal. Everybody is dressing that way, so everyone including Christians, thinks it’s okay.  Modesty is such a touchy issue that nobody wants to talk about anymore. People are scared to say anything about it because we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. But as Christian women, it is our duty to reflect Christ in a way that brings him glory through our clothes and actions.

Why should we dress modestly you ask? Because first of all the Bible clearly states that we are to be dressed in modest apparel. (See 1 Timothy 2:9) God wants us to cover up what He has given us. Our bodies are the temple of God! Everything we do, from the way we dress, to the way we act, is a reflection of Him. We should dress in a way that others can see Jesus in us. We have such a responsibility, especially in the day we live in, to let Christ shine through in everything we do. 

Another reason to dress modestly is to show respect for yourself! You have so much to offer the world, and that does not include your body. Dressing modestly not only shows respect for yourself, but it shows respect for others. (See Romans 14:13.) Married ladies, dress modestly for your husbands. I promise if they love the Lord, they will appreciate it. If you’re unmarried, dress modestly for your future husband! Save yourself for him! And I know this is also a touchy topic, but whether you like it or not, dressing immodestly will catch a man’s attention. There is nothing worse than being out and seeing a woman walk right by flaunting anything and everything right by your husband.  What if the way you are dressed affects someone else’s husband? What if you walk by that teenage boy and you cause him to have thoughts that he has been trying to fight off? What if the way you are dressed makes a young Christian fall back into an addiction he has been so desperately trying to overcome? Y’all, I know that there are people that don’t like to think this way, and yes, I agree that ultimately it is the man’s fault if he lusts after a woman. But what are we doing to prevent that?

We should be proud of who God has made us, and be thankful for the bodies God has given us. He created the human body to be attractive. There is nothing wrong with having a great body, and there’s nothing wrong with being pretty. But there is something wrong when you use your body to attract attention in the wrong way.

I’m being real because this is such an important discussion that we need to have with our friends, sisters, and daughters. We need to bring modesty back. I’m not saying grab an old potato sack, and put a bag on your head. You can dress fashionably, and beautifully without being immodest.  It is possible! It may not be the most “trendy” thing to do, but I’m telling you it is so rewarding. I will say that I have been guilty of trying to fit in, and I’ve worn things that I shouldn’t have. It’s easy to do, but I’m challenging every single one of you that reads this, to beat the normal. Before you walk out of the house, look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself, “Would this be acceptable in God’s eyes?” Let’s go back to pleasing God in what we wear! I can assure you it is beyond worth it.

1 Timothy 2:9a In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel…

Romans 14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.