Modesty: So Much More Than A List of "Don'ts"

One concept is received in so many different ways.

It is abused and broken in our worldly culture,

and frequently causes girls to groan...

           ...this concept is modesty.

What do you picture when you hear the word modesty? I think many of us, including myself, can fall into the trap of seeing modesty as a burdening list of “don’ts." Don’t wear a bikini unless it is your intent to cause lust in other man. Don’t wear miniskirts or super clingy jeans that show off the delicate features of you legs. Don’t, don’t, DON’T!

            Now there is nothing wrong with don’ts. Our God gives us laws with the purpose of protecting and shaping us like Christ. However, viewing modesty with a begrudging attitude, or turning it into an issue of legalism, will not honor God either.

When we read in 1 Timothy 2 that women are to adorn themselves in  “respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control,” our response shouldn’t be “thanks, Timmy, that is the last thing I need...more rules for my life.” Instead, we should be thanking the Lord for giving us a command with the intention of guiding women to be as we were created: respectable and feminine. 

Isn't it wonderful? God wants His daughters to be respected! He truly loves us, and He has given us commands so that they will benefit us rather than burden us.

Sadly some people do not understand this. Some are oblivious to the fact that the attitudes they convey in their dress are not honorable, and they set themselves up to be misused by the world. Some will jump to the other extreme and become so restrictive with dress codes, and they will claim that any woman who chooses to wear pants over dresses is "unGodly."

            But modesty is more than the outward appearance. It starts in the heart.
            We should be driven by love (1 John 4:18), not fear for the sake of the church, and wearing the “respectable apparel” 1 Timothy talks about simply means dressing in a way that pleases God. He is pleased with the beautiful creatures He created women to be. We are a living testimony of His handiwork and the Holy Spirit who dwells “within you” (1 Corinthians 6:19). Thus we should “glorify God” in our bodies, which is God's temple. We should fashion His temple beautifully, but not with an air of flaunting which could be a stumbling block to others.

While modesty is more than a concept—it is a command, we should not burden ourselves with don’ts, but rather the do’s: Do dress modestly because you will be obeying God and will reap the joy of preaching silently the purity of the His Gospel. I hope you will see the beauty in modesty that comes to those who fashion His temple according to His will: with love, and a heart that is willing to obey. 

A little book I recommend on this topic is Secret Keeper: the Delicate Power of Modesty by Dannah Gresh