We, who are women professing godliness, are a reflection of our beautiful Christ Who gave Himself for us. We are His. He is ours. We are bought with a price. What? Know ye not that your body is a temple?!
{See…Song of Solomon 2:16; First Timothy 2:9-10; First Corinthians 6:19-20}
“The way we dress IS a reflection of our heart. The way we dress can reflect wordliness or godliness.” ~Courtney @Women Living Well
Modesty is a timeless issue. It has been an issue from the beginning of time and it will be an increasingly important issue for followers of Jesus Christ until He returns. Today at Women Growing in Grace I am speaking a little bit about godly womanhood, our pure hearts and our appearance, offering practical advice that is a help in our own family. Modesty begins with a pure heart that wholly belongs to Jesus Christ. So, the first thing you and I can do is examine our hearts with a regular heart-check. Let’s ask ourselves some questions.
~Do I make excuses like these for how I dress?
….”I can wear what I want. It’s my business.”
…”They shouldn’t be looking anyway.”
…”I’m not a stumbling block. If they can’t handle it that’s their problem, not mine.”
…”This is what’s ‘in’.”
…”This is all you can find in the stores. I can’t find modest clothes that fit me.”
~Am I humbly walking with God or am I filled with pride?
~Do I want to be foolish or wise?
~Do I care most what pleases God or what pleases the flesh?
~Do I want others to notice my spirituality or my sexuality?
~Am I selfish and provocative in how I dress and conduct myself or am I careful to be discerning and pure in how I think and act? (Titus 2:3-5)
Maybe you’re not sure if you, in any way, ever dress or act immodestly. You can ask your husband, fiancee, or guy friends; ask your father, your uncle, or a trusted Christian man in your life. They often can tell you better than anyone. Or ask your mom, your grandma, your aunt, a Sunday School teacher, a mentor or your Christian girlfriends. And you can pray! God wants us to pray about everything! He wants to bless us!
I know it can be a huge challenge to go shopping and find appropriate clothes. Not only is it a task for myself, but we also have 8 daughters, currently between the ages of 7 and 15, to provide clothing for! One frustrating example is, the necklines are usually so low that we need a camisole or tank top under just. about. every. single. top. available. And even then, we still have to make sure the tank top is going to cover us up! It means we have to be persistent and creative sometimes, but, remember prayer works! God hears humble hearts who want to please Him! He is eager to help!
It can be easy for us to miss some things when we choose clothes. Here are some bold questions we can ask ourselves as we try on clothes…
~Am I showing any part of my breasts? Am I showing any cleavage?
~Could someone taller than me see down my top? When I lean over is this top going to keep me covered?
~Is this top see-through? Could I use some extra coverage like a camisole, or tank top?
~Is this top tight? Is it stretched so tight that it is pulling on the sides &/or the front?
~Is this blouse hard to button? Are the buttons pulling? Is the front gaping open in between the buttons?
~Are my bra straps or is my bra showing?
~Is this shirt so short that I’ll have to keep pulling it down to keep my waist covered?
~Is this top so low that I’ll need to constantly be pulling it up in the front to stay modest?
~Are these low rise pants going to show my back or bottom as I walk, or when I bend over? Ick!
~Do I need to wear a flowy tunic top or cute dress over these skinny jeans or leggings?
~Do these shorts come below the tips of my fingers when I stand up straight?
~Is this skirt or dress knee length? Does it cover my thighs all around, front and back? (Or you may even prefer that your knees not show at all.)
Dressing and behaving modestly protects our godly testimony and our fellowship with the Lord. A pure heart with modesty can protect our own marriage and even the relationships of others. Modesty shows our reverence for God, our regard for the souls and minds of men, single or married, younger and older and our desire to be a godly influence on the women and girls around us. Where possible, we want to build each other up spiritually. It is true that some people are going to choose evil regardless of our testimony, but my point is that we can always do our best to please The Lord, to be right with Him.
A godly woman can definitely dress nicely and modestly and at the same time look stunning and elegant. We CAN dress modestly and still be stylish, cute and pretty. It is worth the time it takes to make godly choices! God WILL bless our efforts! He will bless our pure, humble hearts!
What are some things that have helped you in your endeavor to be modest?
Growing in grace,
Melissa L. Scott
*Some passages for further study:
Proverbs 31
Psalm 19:8
Psalm 24:3-5
Psalm 119:9
Proverbs 29:23
Proverbs 30:12
Micah 6:8
Deuteronomy 6:5
Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:2
Matt 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27
Galatians 5:22-26
Philippians 4:4-9
James 4:6-10
1 Timothy 4:12
11 Timothy 2:22
1 Peter 1:13-25
Titus 2:11-15
11 Chronicles 7:14-22
Growing in Grace 