Modest or beautiful?

Queen in Gold

Modest or beautiful?

10/7/2018

If you’re like me and you read a bunch of Christian girl blogs you’ll know that many – MANY – of these blogs talk about modesty and like to focus on the do’s of don’ts of what to wear. Although I love a practical approach and some of their tips are really helpful, I would like to point out that this is not another one of those articles. Instead of telling you how long your skirt should be – I’d like to explain WHY.

If you read last week’s article; Does God think you’re beautiful? you’ll know that beauty is the essence of femininity and that women were created to be beautiful both inside and out. Perhaps beauty and modesty seems a little contradicting to you. Can you be called to resemble God’s beauty to the world and hide it at the same time? I happen to think this is such a major misconception of what modesty is.

So let’s talk about it.

Let’s define modesty

The word “modesty” actually has a double meaning. It can refer to being humble as well as avoiding indecency. Although these are two completely different concepts, I actually believe they complement each other well. Romans 12:3 warns believers about thinking too much of themselves. I happen to think dressing immodestly does exactly that. Instead of acknowledging your beauty as a gift from God and seeking ways to honor Him with it; you put your beauty on display for the world in order to enhance yourself.

"Modesty is not hiding your beauty, but choosing to honor God with it."

Modesty is not hiding your beauty, but choosing to honor God with it.

So why should you dress modestly?

By looking at Paul’s discussion of sexual immorality in1 Corinthians 6:12-20; I’d like to point out 4 reasons you should dress modestly:

1. Your body is not yours

“...You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
– 1 Corinthians 6:19b-20

If you confess that Jesus is the Lord and Saviour of your life; you should also acknowledge Him as the Lord and Saviour of your body. We like to remember this when we’re praying for the sick, but do we remember it when we’re following the latest fashion trends?

You and I have the privilege of belonging to Christ, because He paid for us with His body. He gave His life to make us righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21). He came to give us our true identity as children of God and because of this we belong to Him (2 Corinthians 6:18).

Jesus paid for you with His life. You were not cheap. You were bought at a price. Your body, dear sister in Christ; is not cheap and therefore you shouldn’t be treated it as such.

"You were not cheap. You were bought at a price."

Honoring your body as God’s holy possession is an act of worship.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship.” – Romans 12:1

2. Your body is a temple

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” – 1 Corinthians 6:19

In the Old Testament we read about the Spirit of God filling the temple (1 Kings 8:11). It is from there God spoke to the nation of Israel. The very reason He instructed them to build a temple was to be able to dwell among them.

God’s Spirit still longs to dwell among us, but in a much more intimate nature than before. Before Jesus’ ascension into heaven, He promised to send His Spirit to be our Helper (John 14:16-17). Acts 2 confirms that this did indeed happen. The Holy Spirit does not simply dwell in the temple anymore, but in the hearts of believers. We are His temple.

In the Old Testament the Israelites visited the temple to experience God and to hear from Him. Today we are privileged to have Him living in us. I happen to think this means other people ought to experience God through you. Before people could enter the Old Testament temple they had to go through cleansing rituals. We have been cleansed through the blood of Jesus, but we still have the choice of whether or not we live in the holiness we’ve received.

"...we still have the choice of whether or not we live in the holiness we’ve received."

3. You’re part of a bigger body

“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?” – 1 Corinthians 6:15

As believers, we belong to the body of Christ. This is the body of believers, the church, of which Christ is the head (Colossians 1:18). His body ought to support and encourage one another spiritually. You might not experience the effects of your immoral dress code, but some of you Christian brothers sure do. It is for this reason there is no place for immorality among believers.

4. Your body is a gift

This last reason is not exactly mentioned in 1 Corinthians 6, but does confirm its message.

I believe we are to treasure our body for what it is; a beautiful gift from God.

If you read last week’s article; you’ll know that in Captivating, John and Stasi Eldredge mention three desires of the woman heart. One of these desires is having a beauty to unveil.

We don’t just long to be beautiful, we long to unveil it.

I think there is so much significance in the choice of that word “un-veil.” Doesn’t it just remind you of a wedding? Isn’t that exactly what happens?

The bride comes down the aisle wearing a veil over her face and beautiful white gown. Usually her father would then “unveil” her right before handing her over to her soon-to-be husband.

"God gave you this gift of beauty and purity so you can give it to your future husband someday"

Don’t you think God gave you this gift of beauty and purity so you can give it to your future husband someday? So your heavenly Father could unveil you?

I’m not saying you should hide your beauty from the rest of the world. I believe we’re given an inward beauty and an outward beauty of femininity and that it should be exhibited to the world. The beauty of sexuality, however, was always meant for your husband and should be treasured for him alone.

Why modesty?

Dressing modestly is not hiding your body, but treating it according to its true worth. Your body belongs to the Lord; it’s His temple. You are part of a bigger body that needs to be uplifted and your body is a gift from God that ought to be treasured.

Questions to ask yourself

From experience I can tell you that dressing modestly is not always easy. I’ll also admit that sometimes I fail. While being bombarded by social media and trends around us, it’s sometimes difficult to know what’s acceptable. I suggest you join me in asking yourself the following questions: