I felt like God has been putting modesty on my heart lately,
not just for myself (that’s been an ongoing process for the last several years)
but to write about. Turn on the TV and
you can see the different views of modest held by Christians. There is a show where parents to children are
concerned about modesty and run on the very conservative side. Then there is a Christian TV actress has been
quoted multiple times about wanting to show modesty and share her testimony,
while being on a dancing show definitely not known for modesty. My questions are these:
How can you cover just
bust and bottom and say that’s being modest?
How can you shake your bust and bottom in provocative ways
and call that modest?
How can you say that you can be sexy and sensual on TV and
call yourself modest?
How can you constantly hug and hold another man other than
your husband and call that pure?
How is letting another man, that is not your husband, run
his hands all over your body and grab pretty much every part of your body pure?
How are skin tight leggings and a shirt showing your sports
bra modest?
How is going out in a sports bra and short-shorts after
rehearsal modest?
I guess I just don’t get it.
But then I read the comments from others:
“Compared to everyone else on the show, she’s very modest.”
“Compared to the character she was trying to portray, she’s
very modest.”
“No one else on the show would be that modest!”
“I don’t think she’s immodest. I dress like that.”
“Sexy is about inner-confidence. It’s not just about raunchiness.”
“It’s not any more immodest than wearing a bikini at the
beach!”
“It’s dancing! It’s
not like she’s having an affair. She’s
playing a character!”
“Christians can be sexy but not promiscuous.”
Get what they are saying?
The world (or I) isn’t this modest or pure so it’s ok. But are we called to be just better than the
world’s standards? Since the Bible
doesn’t lay down a “This is exactly how you are to dress: a)…” do we even need
to consider what we wear? Do we have to
wear frumpy ugly clothes to be modest?
Are we just being legalistic when we set standards for modesty? Do we have anything to go by at all? Do I even have a right to address this topic
to other Christians? *gasp!* Let’s not judge, right?!?! After all, Jesus came to set us free from all
bondage, not confine us in any way, shape, or form, right?!?!
Modesty. It
encompasses clothing, our behavior, and our thoughts. Modesty is all about the heart. What I hope to communicate on this hotly
debated topic is what the Bible says about modesty and more so about what it
means to be a Christian. Because modesty
really is a light on what our walk with God looks like. It’s a light on our heart and our true
nature. And at the end of the series, I
will write about how I have personally felt called to display modesty.
through His grace alone!
Sarah
This is a topic I too feel very strongly about. I look forward to reading what you have to write!
ReplyDeleteI think in some ways, it's more difficult for us "blessed" ladies because they're just....there saying "HELLO WORLD". (Something we've talked about before!! ^-^) Shirts that should theoretically cover everything dip just a little too low, and even if the shirt is high-cut, they're still out there and hard to hide. And it gets to the point where you feel ridiculous wearing 2-3 shirts just so everything on top and bottom gets covered.
It's been a topic I haven't really wanted to cover because there are so many hard feelings behind modesty. And it isn't cut and dry in the Bible. I also think people miss the point that our clothing is a reflection on our heart and our beliefs, which is why I think it's so easy to offend. And that's how I think I'm going to approach this topic.
DeleteI also agree that it is almost impossible to find clothes nowadays that cover. It's taken me many years to try to build a decent closet of modest clothes, especially since I usually only buy clearance or at shops like Goodwill. People need to remember grace when looking at what others wear because I'm sure many people are like me that we don't have money to blow on a whole new wardrobe when we become convicted to dress more modestly.
Great article Sarah! There are two things I think about when I get dressed for the day. First will this reflect poorly on the Lord or my testimony. The second, could the way I am dressed cause someone else to stumble in their thought life?
ReplyDeleteThanks Anne! Those are great and simple questions to remember each day. I think about those things too but not that concise. I'll have to remember those.
Delete