Modesty matters.
(i nicked this from Bex)
Modesty matters.
This fact has been forgotten by our ungodly society, and even (it seems) by many of our churches. Ok, you’re thinking, we get a talk on this every so often at YP, and they just drone on about how mini-skirts and low-rise jeans cause lust. Whatever. For a long time my attitude was similar to that. My parents were (are) quite strict about clothes, so I never got into mini-skirts etc, but in my heart I didn’t really believe a) modesty was important; and b) that dressing like everyone else really made guys struggle with lust. The way we Christian girls dress does affect the way the Christian guys we know think of us. If we dress in an overtly sexual manner, then how can we expect guys to think of us as sisters in Christ? In 1 Timothy 5:2 guys are commanded to “treat younger women as sisters, with absolute purity”. Absolute purity does not include having lustful thoughts every time you go to church. But, people say, everyone else dresses that way so guys must be used to it, therefore it won’t be a problem. Wrong. It is a problem. The fact that everyone around us dresses immodestly only means that we have even more reason to dress modestly. Even if Christian guys have to struggle with lust at school and (maybe) work, they should at least not have to when they are around us. You’d be surprised how many things you never thought would be a problem can cause lust. Check out The Modesty Survey on www.therebelution.com for a detailed look at just what clothes boys struggle with. It takes a while to look through it all, but it is definitely worth the effort. Modesty is important. In 1 Timothy 2:9, Paul says “I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety”. I’m not advocating all going back to Victorian style clothes. I’m just saying that this is an issue we should all take seriously. Shannon Harris (wife of Joshua Harris, author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye) says, “There is a difference between dressing attractively and dressing to attract”. She’s right, there really is. It is possible to dress in a modest way and still look attractive. In fact, you’ll look more attractive to serious Christian men, who will appreciate the effort you are making on their behalf. Do you really want the guys you know to think of you only as a sexual object? If you dress immodestly, they will struggle to think of you any other way. If you’ve never thought about this issue before, then I would challenge you to do so now. Ask you Dad, or brother, or a Christian guy you know well, to honestly evaluate the way you dress. You might be surprised by what they say! Finally, this is primarily a heart issue. The way we dress is important, but our attitude has to be right as well. Joshua Harris says, “The first way you should view a Christian guy is as a brother”. If we have an impure attitude to the guys we know, then the way we dress will be wrong. Be a sister to the men in your life. Dress modestly, as a child of God. But remember, this is really a question of attitude. Dressing modestly doesn’t make you a better person. If your heart is right on this issue, then the way you dress will follow.
Modesty matters.
This fact has been forgotten by our ungodly society, and even (it seems) by many of our churches. Ok, you’re thinking, we get a talk on this every so often at YP, and they just drone on about how mini-skirts and low-rise jeans cause lust. Whatever. For a long time my attitude was similar to that. My parents were (are) quite strict about clothes, so I never got into mini-skirts etc, but in my heart I didn’t really believe a) modesty was important; and b) that dressing like everyone else really made guys struggle with lust. The way we Christian girls dress does affect the way the Christian guys we know think of us. If we dress in an overtly sexual manner, then how can we expect guys to think of us as sisters in Christ? In 1 Timothy 5:2 guys are commanded to “treat younger women as sisters, with absolute purity”. Absolute purity does not include having lustful thoughts every time you go to church. But, people say, everyone else dresses that way so guys must be used to it, therefore it won’t be a problem. Wrong. It is a problem. The fact that everyone around us dresses immodestly only means that we have even more reason to dress modestly. Even if Christian guys have to struggle with lust at school and (maybe) work, they should at least not have to when they are around us. You’d be surprised how many things you never thought would be a problem can cause lust. Check out The Modesty Survey on www.therebelution.com for a detailed look at just what clothes boys struggle with. It takes a while to look through it all, but it is definitely worth the effort. Modesty is important. In 1 Timothy 2:9, Paul says “I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety”. I’m not advocating all going back to Victorian style clothes. I’m just saying that this is an issue we should all take seriously. Shannon Harris (wife of Joshua Harris, author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye) says, “There is a difference between dressing attractively and dressing to attract”. She’s right, there really is. It is possible to dress in a modest way and still look attractive. In fact, you’ll look more attractive to serious Christian men, who will appreciate the effort you are making on their behalf. Do you really want the guys you know to think of you only as a sexual object? If you dress immodestly, they will struggle to think of you any other way. If you’ve never thought about this issue before, then I would challenge you to do so now. Ask you Dad, or brother, or a Christian guy you know well, to honestly evaluate the way you dress. You might be surprised by what they say! Finally, this is primarily a heart issue. The way we dress is important, but our attitude has to be right as well. Joshua Harris says, “The first way you should view a Christian guy is as a brother”. If we have an impure attitude to the guys we know, then the way we dress will be wrong. Be a sister to the men in your life. Dress modestly, as a child of God. But remember, this is really a question of attitude. Dressing modestly doesn’t make you a better person. If your heart is right on this issue, then the way you dress will follow.
posted by AbiKateMackenzie x @ 10:05 AM
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