Modesty.
The one word that we can't seem to find a unified answer on. Even in this post some will find this ultra conservative and others will find it too liberal.
So let's begin!
First we will define modesty:
1. Mariam Webster- a. the quality of not being too proud or confident about yourself or your abilities
b. the quality of behaving and especially dressing in ways that do not attract sexual attention
So in opposing modesty, you are advocating pride.
Moving on.
2. Wikipedia- is a mode of dress and deportment intended to avoid encouraging sexual attraction in others; actual standards vary widely
We want to avoid encouraging sexual attraction by just using our body. This is where the debate about whose job that really is comes up, but lets be honest we are called to help our brothers and sisters in Romans 14. People are going to be attracted to us whether our shirt is tight or not, the question is are we trying to encourage them to undress us with their eyes by literally wearing less dress?
And last but not least
3. The Bible- it is only found in two places in the ESV translation: 1 Corinthians 12:23 and 1 Timothy 2:9
1 Corinthians 12:23 is in reference to how we are called to be parts of the body and how the unpresentable parts are the ones we treat with greater modesty.
1 Timothy 2:9 is the infamous passage about women not adorning themselves with gold and braided hair
Now these two references either seem irrelevant to this avenue of modesty or to this time period. However they are both very relevant if you look into the context.
1 Corinthians 12:23 is referring to how we are each different parts of the body and that is the main lesson, the body of Christ functions if there are different people working together. How it relates back to this post is the particular way modesty is used in this passage. It is derived from the Greek word euschēmosynēn which is most commonly translated as decorum or becomingness. When it comes to the lesson it essentially is saying even though we think some parts are lesser than others, we often find ourselves taking better care of those parts that are deemed lesser. The way we take care of those parts is in our modesty or sense of decorum. Modesty is a way of placing value on something or showing that even if its often considered lesser, in reality its more important. So when it comes to being modest, you are not hiding yourself or ashamed of yourself, but rather placing importance, a sense of decorum and becomingness on your body.
For 1 Timothy 2:9 the Greek word is αἰδοῦς which is translated to shame-faced or modesty. You are probably thinking "wait didn't you just say it was not about shame, but about placing importance?" Track with me and I will help you connect the two.
Shamefaced is also a synonym for shy. So you are called to have a sense of shyness when it comes to your body. When someone is shy, does that mean they don't want to be known or don't want any friends? Not necessarily. They are just more careful about who they reveal themselves to. In being shy and shamefaced, you are being called to be careful about the parts of yourself you are revealing to others and who its being revealed to.
Phew! That's a lot of defining. Hopefully now you have a fuller understanding of what modesty is, especially how it is Biblical.
Now what does modesty practically look like for a woman? This is where it would be easy to list a bunch of no go outfits and how short is too short, but thats not going to fix the problem. What I'm more concerned with and I know what God is more concerned with is what are the beliefs we are holding as we get dressed everyday. We can easily just put a bunch of regulations, but if we don't have a full understanding, what are we gaining from our modesty? We are gaining nothing but self righteousness (trust me, this is where I tend to fall).
There are certain articles of clothing I would say violate these questions every time (like yoga pants because they are literally your butt and legs with a smooth black case, at least wear a shirt that goes past your butt). If you want to know those clothing articles ask, but right now I want this to be about helping your heart and mine to look at this through the biblical perspective of placing importance on our bodies and helping protect our brothers.
So let's ask ourselves these questions honestly as we are getting ready:
- Is what I'm wearing glorifying to God? (The answer of "God made my body so showing it off is glorifying" is not a real answer. Go read the above verses again) 1 Corinthians 10:31
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- Am I being found prideful of my body and wanting other people to take a gander? Obadiah 1:3
- Are these pants or this shirt placing importance on my body by making parts of it rare like a diamond, or am I allowing for easy eye access like cubic zirconium?
- Is what I'm wearing going to be a stumbling block? Romans 14:13-19
- Am I more concerned with my comfort than the sin of my brother? Job 15:11
So are you willing to ask yourself these questions in a humble manner? Are you willing to let God in on a topic that the world seems to say is a matter of opinion? I'm tired of trying to find the perfect answer for this so I'm letting God mold me continually. I want to fight to let Him change my dress with age, with conviction and with the hope of glorifying Him through it all.
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
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