I’m quite excited to start up a new series of posts today, and I do hope that you’ll read along as I delve into an important topic for Christian women. That topic is modesty, as the title of this post suggests, and I hope to discuss it in a way that is challenging, yet still uplifting.
This certainly may have been more fitting to begin in the late spring, right around the time the temperatures rise and the amount of clothing falls, but I didn’t quite have my thoughts together yet at that time. After watching a video on YouTube and reading a very insightful Princeton study a couple of months ago, my mind really went into overdrive on this topic, and I am excited to share my perspective on such an important virtue for Christian women.
Today I want to give a little bit of background on modesty and where I want these posts to take us. Read on, dear ones!
The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 2:9 that Christian women should be taught to “adorn themselves in modest apparel,” but what does that really mean, and why should we do it?
In Noah Webster’s classic 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language, the definition of “modesty” is broken down into four parts, and words such as “decency”, “humble”, and “unobtrusive” are spread throughout those parts. The fourth part applies specifically to ladies, and quoting a line I found quite lovely, refers to “the sweetest charm of female excellence, the richest gem in the diadem of their honor.” Clearly, modesty is a virtue admired by Mr. Webster, and commanded by the Lord.
While I don’t believe modesty refers only to our clothing (more on that in a later post), our clothing choices are one of the most obvious and outward expressions of our modesty. Whether we like admitting it or not, our outward appearance speaks volumes about what is in our heart and what we believe. Modesty doesn’t necessarily mean overly large frocks with frilly turtleneck tops, but it does mean dressing in a way that doesn’t bring about unnecessary or inappropriate attention to our physical appearance and female figure.
I come at this from the perspective of one who, during my teenage years, never gave a thought to modesty, but was in time trained by the Lord through His leading on my heart, and His use of faithful teachers and godly examples. I cringe to think of the ways I used to dress, quite oblivious to God’s instructions for ladies, but well-aware of the attention I got in immodest clothing. After giving my heart to the Lord in high school, I very slowly (and I’m talking years) began to understand that modesty is important for many reasons, but the why’s and how’s of modesty often aren’t as clear.
So what do I want to accomplish in these posts?
I want to show that dressing modesty honors God, honors others, and honors ourselves; and lastly take a peak at what modesty looks like in our family. Modesty isn’t about “can’t”s and “not allowed”s, but about an earnest desire to be honorable in how we conduct ourselves in response to God’s work in our hearts.
Now then, that wasn’t too bad, was it? I do hope you’ll continue reading these posts over the next four weeks, join in on the conversation with your comments, and ask the Lord to show you how you can be more honorable in your clothing choices. Just like in any area of Christian life, we all have room to grow in modesty!