Modern Modesty

Modesty is beautiful. Whether you believe that right now or not, you need to know that is the truth. Unfortunately, our culture and society has attached a negative connotation and stigma to the whole idea of modesty. If we’re being honest most people probably roll their eyes every time they hear the word “modesty”, because it’s talked about all the time in our world today and typically not in a positive or godly way. You might immediately think of people at school or work getting dress coded or being told that you are dressing inappropriately and need to cover up. Dressing modestly seems like it has become something that is only done if you are being “controlled” so to speak by someone or something because apparently the world seems to think that no in their right mind would dress appropriately on purpose. Now that is just crazy, and it really shows how far the devil has twisted this idea that was originally beautiful and from God. 

Also, it is important to note that everything I am saying is directed to women but it is just as applicable to men. They aren’t exempt from being modest, and modestly isn’t just about the clothes you wear, it's also about the way you live, act, and speak.

First of all, people tend to be so focused on making sure that everything they do is totally up to them. They only do what they want to do, when they want to do it. Our society has adopted this self centred and self focused mindset which is slowly destroying us. This may sound harsh but living for only yourself and living a “it’s all about me” lifestyle is a straight road to hell. We need to fight to get back to a society that desires to serve and treat one another how we want to be treated, not because it’s fun or we particularly enjoy it but because it’s self-destructive to live for only yourself. This is also why the saying “you only live once” has become another unhealthy mindset and way to live, because people have taken this and used it as an excuse for self pleasure found in the world. We need to change this into you only live once so you only have one chance to bring glory to God and serve Him on this earth. We need to make it count and not waste our precious time living for worldly pleasure. Most importantly, we need to ensure our mindsets are not “living for me” but instead “living for God”. 

Now let’s look at some scripture that can lead us deeper to the heart of God on modesty.

“And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes.” -1 Timothy 2:9

In this passage Paul is sending messages to Timothy in Ephesus as he is trying to lead the church there. Through Paul, God is directly saying that He wants women to be modest in their appearance. This doesn’t only mean covering your body and not wearing inappropriate clothing. As He goes on to say that this also means not using fancy hairstyles, jewelry, makeup, expensive clothing, and more to draw attention to ourselves. He is not saying that we can’t have a nice updo or wear nice clothes, He is saying that we must make sure that we are not using those things to bring attention to ourselves. He is looking at our heart and what our motives are when we are presenting ourselves in public. We need to make sure that our worth and value is not coming from anything outward but completely coming from who God says we are and nothing else.

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” -1 Corinthians 6:19-20

It is critical that we understand how precious we are to God and how much he treasures us, because only then can we see ourselves the way he sees us. In this scripture Paul is sending messages to the church in Corinth about a variety of things. In this specific section he is addressing the church’s problem with sexual immorality and how they are wrongly treating and taking care of their own bodies. We need to understand that when Jesus died on the cross for our sins and paid for our punishment with his blood, he bought us right then and there. From that moment on if God has called you to follow him and serve him then you have been bought and paid for. We don’t belong to ourselves. If you think about it this way it is abundantly clear how much God loves us. He made us and formed us in the first place and then we walked away from Him and even though we still technically belonged to Him, He decided to sacrifice His only son to buy us back once again. So now in a way he double owns us! Anyways, since we are his and he desires to dwell within us, we are his temple. Our bodies need to be taken care of, keeping that in mind. He tells us to glorify him with our bodies, and that means that everything we put on our bodies needs to be approved by Him. Isn’t it beautiful and amazing how much he cares for us!

“Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” -1 Peter 3:3-4

Again, this passage is talking about our worth not coming from our outward appearance but from our creator alone. We need to make sure that everything we dress ourselves in, whether it’s fancy clothes, jewelry, makeup, hairstyles, and more is all much less important to us than who we are inside. Remember that God doesn’t care what you look like on the outside because your value to him is only from the inside. Now this is most definitely not a free pass to completely stop caring about how you look. We are still God’s ambassadors here on earth and need to present ourselves that way, but everything we put on our bodies should be there to highlight our beautiful spirit, not body.

For both women and men, we need to think about modesty less as a rule, or standard and more as holy protection from our Father above. We need to trust Him, and he most definitely isn’t going to tell us something that isn’t for our own good. He is protecting us from comparison, body image issues, confidence struggles, immorality, and so much more. These so called rules and guidelines that God lays out in the Bible are not Him being  controlling and selfish, they are Him providing protection and provision.

Know that God never changes, he is still the same today as he was in the beginning and will still be the same in the end. This means that He knows best and we can trust Him. Who are we to say “You don’t actually know what’s best for me” or “I have been here for XX years, I think I know what's appropriate to wear” or “It’s just a trend, and I don’t want to stand out”. All of these come from a I know better than God attitude, which is absolutely insane. God has been here forever and will be here forever, that doesn’t even compare to how long you have been here. Who do you think you are to talk back to God’s holy and perfect Word? We need to bring back the fear and reverence of God. Also, Christ never ever bend or changed for culture or “trends” and we shouldn’t either, according to the Word of God we have been called to be set apart. So stop trying to fit into culture and live for the King of the World.

So, all this to say make sure that you are dressing appropriately and if Jesus was beside you he would truly approve what you're wearing. We also need to live modest lives, which includes speaking with wisdom, acting with purpose, and living to bring glory to God daily.

I heard this quote the other day and it really stuck out to me:

“Modesty is the safe place that hides me from the eyes of those who seek to hold the body and not the heart. It is not shame that keeps me covered, it is dignity, honor, and self-respect. It is not insecurity that keeps me hidden, it is that I have already been made secure. A man cannot add to this validation or take away from it, and I do not dress to glorify my own body, I dress to glorify my King.”