And then I look at someone like Michelle Duggar and her beliefs are obvious just by looking at her. (Ahh... but I won't go into all that I love about Michelle Duggar... I think we all already know I am team Michelle all the way)
Now, I am not saying that just because someone shows their faith on the outside means they have it all together or really even do believe what they say. BUT... if we really DO believe what we say, shouldn't it show on the outside?
I think dressing modestly has gotten a bad rap because we look at it as being legalistic. And let's be honest, the Bible seems a touch vague on the subject to me. I mean, I kind of wish Jesus had just laid it out in black and white what we should wear, you know? But, I will say that when I see a woman who is dressed very modestly it does stand out to me and my first thought is that I can tell visibly that they are probably a Christian.
A good friend and I have been talking about modesty a lot lately. I think it had been on both our hearts a lot lately and when we finally admitted it to one another it was like the floodgates opened and we have been talking a lot, sharing a lot of articles, and I think both really taking a closer look at modesty.
When I used to think about modesty I used to think about this:
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But, I do think what we might need to consider what we are wearing because the Bible brings it up.
"I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works." 1 Timothy 2:8-10
And I think that when people look at us it should be obvious that we believe in the book that we claim is absolute truth and that we are trying to do what it says. And this obviously goes way beyond what we are wearing... the end of the verse above points out what people should see in us first- GOOD WORKS.
So, does modesty really matter? I think it does because God's word says it does. But, what does that look like? Anyone care to share their thoughts?
I really like the audio track by Jeff Pollard on Christian Modesty and the Public Undressing Of America. http://bluebehemoth.com/album/51700/ I try to dress in ways that 1.honor God 2. honor my husband's preferences and 3. would be fitting as an ambassador of Christ. I am not always good at this. Particularly before or after having a baby/babies because sometimes all that fits are the stretchy sweatpants :). I do think that one can go to far when the standards they set for dress become a measuring stick to which they hold all Christian women but apart from this I believe it is very important to evaluate what we fill our closets with in light of scripture. If the spokesperson to the President of the United States showed up to a press conference wearing scrubs that wouldn't seem to make any sense. If a police officer pulled you over and approached your car wearing hot pink elephant pants you would probably question the validity of the ticket you received. The same is true with us. We are ambassadors for Christ. Do our clothes represent our God well? Do they testify to our faith or do we cause others to question the validity of our testimony? When shopping I try to think, what clothes are available that I think would be fitting for a woman of God. Then secondly, I take in account my husband's preferences. He likes me in skirts, he likes my shoulders covered, and as of recently he has told me he likes when I wear dangly earrings. I would have never guessed on the earring thing :). Sometimes they will surprise you when you ask them what things you wear that they like!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jen! Yes, I totally agree, when it comes to a lot of things I think husband's preferences play a huge role. My husband rarely has specifics but I know he appreciates it when I am all put together!
DeleteMy comment turned into its own blog post! http://justusscotts.blogspot.com/2012/04/i-agree-with-katie-modesty-matters.html
ReplyDeleteThanks Jenn! Loved your post! Our checkbook says a lot about where our heart is for sure!
DeleteGreat post! I think modesty does matter and for me that means knee length (or longer) skirts, decently fitted tops (ie not too tight lol), and a head covering. I don't think modesty has to look one certain way but I think that there are some basics to consider. Like not to short on bottom, or too low on top, and not too tight. But I think God works with us each on in His own time. It's great you have a friend to talk about these things with! I'm visiting from Women Living Well and I'm glad I've come across your blog!.. Oh I'm also team Michelle! lol
ReplyDeleteSo glad to have a fellow team Michelle teammate! :) I love how you say, "I think God works with each of us in His own time" I totally agree with that. We are all a work in progress! Thank you so much for stopping by!
DeleteModesty matters, hands down. It not only protects men from visual temptations and sin, but also shows our daughters that we value ourselves as women and we value the fact that our bodies should belong only to our husbands. This is one of those "If I'd only known back then..." type issues that as a teenager I wish I'd really understood.
ReplyDeleteI agree so much with wishing I had known more about this as a teenager! Thank goodness we have the opportunity to teach our daughters (and sons!) the value of modesty now. Thank you for stopping by my blog!
DeleteI have had the subject of modesty on my heart a lot lately too. As a matter of fact, it has been for about 2 years! I have decided that skirts just aren't for me because I am a rough and tumble preschool teacher but I have been making it a point to be more modest in my appearance.
ReplyDeleteI found you via WLWW!
Thanks for coming by! I am so thankful for blogging because we can share our hearts and find lots of other ladies in the same boat! I love that you are a preschool teacher! How fun! I feel like a preschool teacher sometimes... :)
DeleteI think modesty matters, and it's important to teach our girls when their young to value themselves and not use their bodies to get attention. My daughter is 11, and we talk about the importance of dressing appropriately all the time, and I try to set a good example. There a lot of blogs talking about modesty these last couple of weeks, God must be moving in the hearts of women in this area! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and commenting Alecia! My daughter is 3 and I didn't realize these modesty conversations would start so early but they are so good. I agree that a lot of women's hearts are being moved right now! It is exciting!
DeleteI've been thinking about this post for a bit now. I want to offer a slightly different perspective.
ReplyDeleteI don't want people to look at my clothes and think "wow, she must be a Christian!"
Let me explain. I certainly don't want them to think the opposite, either. "Wow, look at her clothes- she definitely isn't a Christian!" ;)
There is somewhat of a movement going around right now to dress super-modestly, among other things. (I know that isn't what you're talking about, Katie- I'm kind of going by some personal experiences, if you will bear with me for a minute). From what I can tell, the idea is that the world will look at our modest clothing, shining countenance, and our "character" and will immediately repent and become Christians. But it doesn't really work that way, and I submit the reason it doesn't is because we're putting the focus on ourselves, not on God when we do that. The Bible says they will know we are Christians by our love for one another, not by our long skirts and sensible haircuts. Like you said in your post, let men see your GOOD WORKS, that they may glorify your father in heaven.
If I look at my Christian brothers and think "I care about them and don't want to cause them to fall into sin; therefore, I will dress modestly," then that is modesty motivated by love. If my desire to wear long skirts and long sleeves is to show how much of a Christian I am, then it's not motivated by love, but by pride. I don't want people to look at my modesty and think "that person is really a Christian," because that makes them think Christianity is just a set of rules and regulations. I want them to see that Christianity is about love and respect, not a dress code.
You're right; what we believe should show on the outside. But it has to start on the inside.
And sidenote: I loves me some Amy Farrah Fowler. :)
Thanks for sharing! I think you made some wonderful points! Quick clarification: What I meant by being able to see that they are a Christian is that you can tell that they take the Bible seriously because they obey God. I think we should strive (out of our love for God) to follow the inspired wisdom we have from the Bible and therefore when the Bible says that the women should "adorn themselves in respectable apparel" I believe we should listen. While I don't think there is a "dress code" as far as you have to wear long skirts I do think there is a dress code in that we are told to wear "respectable apparel" and what that will look like will depend on each of our own convictions. I love that you said modesty should be motivated by love! I agree 100%! Motivated by our love for God and our love for each other. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and taking the time to comment!
ReplyDeleteLove this!!! All great points. We NEED to be talking more about modesty in modern Christianity but no one wants to bring it up. Thanks for sharing. And I am team Michelle all the way too ;)
ReplyDeleteHaving 3 girls, modesty is something we're always concerned about. But as a Christian, I cannot tell them not to wear something and then wear something similar. Growing up I had a pastor's wife who was an excellent role model, including for modesty and how we should present ourselves. She now has 4 girls and as I see pictures on facebook of her children, they are wearing things that I wouldn't let my children wear. I just wonder what kind of messages are being sent that they're pastor's kids and they're allowed to dress like that and show so much? Great post katie!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I totally agree that I think girls these days are getting some really mixed messages! I just pray I can be a good example and encouragement to my own daughter! I am so glad you stopped by my blog! :)
DeleteEvery time I see a girl or young lady wearing super immodest clothing, it makes me sad. They seem so caught up in the world, and I think the parent's obviously must model that too, in most circumstances. When I see a Christian young lady or woman in immodest apparel, I think: Do you not read your Bible? I agree that God works in all of us at different speeds, and I think that's a terrific point. And I really try not to judge anyone. And I very much agree with "88 keys": That we don't want to turn people off of Christianity by looking like we have to follow a set of rules. And that we definitely need to examine ourselves, to look at why we dress the way we do. In fact, if everyone examined themselves for why they do stuff, the church would probably end up hurting less people, and drawing more people in. Its so easy to get caught up in legalism. And again I agree with "88 keys": We need to do everything out of love. And I also agree that modesty looks different to everyone. My pastor's wife (who is in her late 60's I think...)wears dresses or skirts that come just above her knee. But they look fine on her, and it doesn't present to me as immodest. Probably because they are loose, and she wears modest tops. And she is soooo close to Jesus and sooo full of love. God bless all you ladies in your pursuits to honour God with all you do.
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