Ahh! I feel like I haven’t posted in forever! I know most, if not all, of you don’t care whether I post or not, but I’ve had a case of writers’ block lately. Or bloggers’ block? Not that I would truly call myself a blogger. Anyway!
For a while, the topic of modesty has been on my mind. With hotter weather and lots of opinions being thrown left and right, my mind has been racing. What does it mean to be modest? And what does God say about it?
Modesty Is Different For Everyone
modesty (noun): behavior, manner, or appearance intended to avoid impropriety or indecency
Among the widespread opinions that different bloggers and influencers share with people, I’ve noticed that everyone’s idea of “dressing modestly” is unique to the individual.
There is no right way to be modest. (Reread that sentence again; it’s of utter importance.) God calls different people to different things. Some feel called to only wearing board shorts and tank tops in the water. Others don’t.
I think that intention is a big thing as well. If the intention behind wearing a specific article of clothing is impure, try to avoid the temptation. As in, you’ll need God’s help with avoiding that, because I know how it feels to want to look SO GOOD while knowing that I have a good chance of making fellow Believers (or not Believers) stumble in their purity walk. Or just stumble in general.
That being said, what exactly AM I okay with wearing?
I Love Wearing…
List time! In my closet, I have:
- Crop tops
- Short shorts (as in, shorter than my fingertips)
- Bikinis
- Strapless shirts
- Bralettes
- Ripped jeans
I like how all of these items look while on. That’s why I wear them! Also, in the summer, they help me avoid suffering from the sweltering heat.
However, note that I’m also not really one to challenge authority. I’ve only gotten dress-coded once thus far (last year), and it’s a bit of a long story mixed with a strict teacher. While I do often think that the dress code put in place by my school is a bit much, I do my best to stick to the standards.
Whenever my youth group has any sort of swimming activity, like attending a water park or a pool party, the code is always “modest swimwear,” which for us means mostly one-pieces. I agree with and understand their decision, so therefore I cooperate. Simple.
God Looks at The Heart
God wants us to know that our body is a temple if we have submitted our life to him (1 Corinthians 6:19). That means that we should honor him with our bodies!
But God also looks at our heart. Take, for example, Sadie Robertson. Sadie lives a life that shows she is chasing Jesus, and she wears clothes similar to what I wear. Her video here explains her views on outward appearance, and I fully agree with her. Nikki Philippi and Savannah Soutas are two other girls I admire because their faith is big and their wardrobes are killer.
God looks at our heart. Our intentions. Our motives. He cares more about our relationship with Him than he cares about what we physically wear day-to-day. He still cares about that, yes, by all means!
But if we, as Christians, spend more time judging others for their clothing and telling them what not to do, instead of spending our time in God’s word and asking Him to guide ourselves? Yikes. Christians are meant to appear different from the world. It’s part of our calling (John 15:19). How will people know we’re seeking The Lord when all we can say is “Don’t do this, don’t wear that”?
It’s not our job to judge people; it’s God’s job. We can point people to God, and we can pray for people, but we should never, ever judge someone just because of what clothes they have on. We should never judge people, period.
Yet we do, because humans sin. What else is new? But, brothers and sisters, I urge you to look at your own hearts and lives before you become quick to harshly examine others. It’s not up to us to play God here.
Many of my fellow Believers will disagree with me, and that’s okay. I understand that the way people are raised influences them greatly, which is alright. It’s okay to disagree. I believe that what we wear on the outside can often reflect our hearts, but there’s also often a lot more going on beneath the surface.
Love others more. Be slow to speak and quick to listen.
🛍 🛍 🛍
Current obsessions: spicy buffalo chicken from the market, millennial pink, & the musical “children of eden” (because I was just in it, and post show depression is real) 🌳
Currently dreaming of a vacation in: Santorini, Greece🇬🇷
Last book I read: “The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight” by Jennifer E. Smith
Have a lovely day, all. ☺️
Blessings! Lauren Joy
Lauren Joy Blogs 
I was in Hawaii last month, and a girl walked on the beach wearing a bathing suit that revealed more than half of her butt. That was definitely immodest.
Intentions of the heart are certainly important. Nonetheless, certain clothing has effects on the sexual desires of the opposite sex, regardless of intentions.
In my view, clothing that reveals portions of a woman’s breasts or buttocks is immodest. Such clothing has the effect of increasing a man’s sexual desire. I also believe that men can dress immodestly too.
I wrote a short post on the virtue of modesty titled, “Calling a Woman a Skank.” If you would like to read it, I am open to any feedback: https://christopherjohnlindsay.wordpress.com/2017/06/26/virtue-of-modesty/
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Chris,
Thank you for sharing your opinion! I will definitely read your post when I get the chance. I agree with you here; I’ve never been one to appreciate girls who wear so-called “cheeky” bikinis or ones that overly reveal any private body part. I didn’t really address that in my blog entry, and I think the entire topic of modesty is difficult because everyone’s body is different. My body type is pretty petite, so some items that I wear would look completely different on someone else! And while I still believe that no one should feel tied down by this concept, I also believe that we must be aware of other people and show our love for God by dressing respectably.
Again, thanks for being respectful in sharing your view!! It’s not everyday that someone on the Internet has the guts to speak their mind without being rude about it.
Blessings to you!
Lauren Joy
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