Modesty: What you Believe is Showing

I am on vacation this week.  Please enjoy this guest posting from a good friend of mine, Kim Crawford. ~Tamara

Just last night, I was sitting in a meeting and overheard some ladies talking about finding summer clothing for their daughters. This piqued my interests since I knew that I would be writing this article on modesty. Maybe you, like them, loathe summer shopping. The shorts keep getting shorter, the shirts smaller and tighter, and the dresses, well lets just say, some of them would fit better if they were used as skirts.

So, how do we teach our girls modesty in a world that is bent on exposure? Can modesty be attractive? The greater question underlying these questions is, “Does God really care what I wear?”  In this two part series, I hope you will walk away with a greater understanding of the heart matters related to modesty and practical ways to encourage modesty in your daughters.

Clothing expresses so much about what we believe. Just ask a teenager to wear something that is not “in style”. We all, young and old, use clothing to fit in, to belong, to be accepted. Since clothing expresses our beliefs, when we are talking about modesty, we must start there.

I Corinthians 6:19, 20 states, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

This verse gets to the heart of modesty. Our world is sending messages every day like: “If you've got it, flaunt it”, “Be free to express yourself”, “It's my body, I'll do with it what I want”. This passage of scripture teaches us that, as Christians, our bodies belong to God. This means that we are not free to dress any way we like. Our dress should honor God. The way we dress should point to the reality of our need for a Savior. I love the way that Mary Kassian explains this in her article, What not to Wear,

“It means that your clothing tells the truth about the gospel. Your clothing shows the world that Jesus covers your shame and makes you decent. Your clothes cover your nakedness as the clothing of Christ covers your sin.” 

Does God care about what I wear? Absolutely! He desires that our clothing be an expression of the reality that we belong to Him. When we realize that we no longer have to worry about belonging or fitting in, we can be truly free to use our clothing in a way that communicates our need for Jesus. He alone can cover the shame of our sin. He alone brings forgiveness, redemption and freedom.

Join us next week when we will talk about practical modesty for both moms and daughters!