Why Modesty

Being a young Christian woman in today’s society is an extremely hard thing to do. I for one, know this first hand as I’ve had to struggle with the pressures of fitting in on a college campus where girls dress to impress and guys are looking for a “quick date”. In a very short time I realized that there was no respect from one person to another or even respect for oneself; it was (and is) all about looks and how much influence you have. That’s not what I wanted my life to be about. I wanted to focus on Christ and serving him. So in October of 2013 I decided that the first step in truly serving the Lord and not the wants of the world was to change my wardrobe. 

1 Timothy 2:9-10 says “Also women should wear proper clothes that show respect and self control, not using braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes. Instead they should do good deeds, which is right for women who say they worship God.

Since I decided last October to begin wearing more modest clothing I had to really define what my standards of modesty were. It took me until January of this year to really get a good grip on my definition of modesty. I decided my best bet was to cover from my shoulders to my knees, the only exception being the wedding dress I had bought for my wedding in May of next year. 

So why modesty?

WHY MODESTY?

• BECAUSE MY BODY IS A TEMPLE, CREATED BY GOD HIMSELF, AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
-1 Corinthians 6:19-20

• BECAUSE I’M A WOMAN OF GOD, AND I WANT TO RADIATE HIS GLORY THROUGH EVERYTHING I DO.

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 2:9-10

• BECAUSE I WANT PEOPLE TO GET TO KNOW ME, NOT WHAT I LOOK LIKE.

Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. -1 Peter 3:3-4

• BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I AM MORE VALUABLE THAN MY EXTERNAL LOOKS.

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
-Proverbs 31: 30

Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman without discretion. -Proverbs 11:22

This change to a modest lifestyle has had an enormous impact on my life. One I couldn’t have imagined to have happen just by changing my wardrobe. Since October 2013 I have felt more respect for myself, and have felt more beautiful as well. It has given me more freedom to bask in God’s glory than ever before. I do not feel chained down by the derogatory stares that are shot at women, nor do I hear the labels put on me by others, and I do not feel the need to “hide my body” by putting out a false image of myself.

Being a Christian woman is finding yourself truly and fully when in God’s presence. I love what I have found by changing my wardrobe and turning to Him more fully than ever before.

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