Modesty....It Matters!

I am always so impressed with moms, and especially dads who are caring about the subject of modesty and the affect of it on their children's hearts and minds. In following several Christian Facebook groups, there are always a lot of "shoulder to knee" modesty comments. Many Christians follow this rule simply because the Bible refers to covering the "loins to the thigh" as God's instructions for the linen trousers (NKJV) or “breeches" (KJV) which were part of the priests' garments "to cover their nakedness" in Exodus 28:42. The thigh is the entire area from above the knee to the hip.

When you research the tunics worn during these times, they were a garment that covered from the shoulder at least down to the knee. Also in Isaiah 47:2-3, uncovering the thigh is again referred to as revealing nakedness.

As Christians, we are priests!
We are Christ’s ambassadors!
How are we representing ourselves as such?

In Genesis 3, after Adam and Eve sinned, they realized their nakedness and covered themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7). God then made them "tunics of skin and clothed them" (vs. 21 - NKJV). Apparently the simple coverings Adam and Eve made for themselves were not enough to adequately cover their nakedness. If it wasn’t enough clothing for God’s original people in the garden, why would it be enough clothing for His children today?

These two thoughts from scripture put a whole new perspective on modesty for me, even though I always believed it to be important.

I did try to teach our children to "DIVERT THEIR EYES" and look away when people were dressed immodestly. People in the world think modesty doesn’t matter. Christians should know better because scripture teaches these truths. We mustn’t cave to the world’s standard of what is modest or not. It’s pretty apparent that the world doesn’t have a standard.

Many years ago my high school FHA chapter was going to tour a state penitentiary. I wasn’t able to go due to dental surgery , but I still remember one of the of the rules we were told. No one could wear sleeveless shirts.

Out of curiosity, I looked up the requirements for pension visits now. Guess what? Thirty-plus years later, sleeveless shirts are still not allowed. Interesting, huh? Check out the other dress code requirements below. Crazy how big of a deal it is to have schools or other places enforce a strict dress code, yet a prison is stricter and sees the issue of wearing immodest clothing more than in our free society. That speaks volumes, doesn’t it?!

As followers of Christ, our bodies are temples. We must respect our bodies and not defile them in any way. Through the way we dress and by how we appear, we can show that we know how precious our body is. We can show that we are a disciple of Jesus Christ and that we love Him by how we dress. Our dress and grooming influence the way we and the way others act around us.

We must never lower our standards of dress. We must not use a special occasion as an excuse to be immodest. When we dress immodestly, we send a message that is contrary to our identity as a son or daughter of God. We may also send the message that we are using our body to get attention and approval from others. We mustn’t seek approval from the world, from social media, from those who desire to harm our influence as a child of God. Modesty in thought, word, appearance, and behavior keep us in step with the Spirit. It will also show others that we are different than the world, giving us the opportunity to tell them more about Jesus and His influence on our life.

“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 ‭

Modesty Matters

From the archives of "Shine Like Stars".  Originally posted November, 2009.

Does modesty matter to you?  Do you think about modesty as you go shopping for clothes for yourself or your family?


A few years ago I did several classes for women and teens on modesty.  (Modesty  is important for males AND females, and it can be about more than just clothing.  We can be immodest by the way we act and talk, but for this devotional thought, I'll concentrate on clothing.)  At that time, I also did extensive research on the subject.  In our society, it's sometimes hard to find modest apparel.  Much of the world does not care about modesty.  However, apparently God does care about modesty, because it's talked about in His Word.

“In like manner also that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls or costly array, but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works”. 

1 Timothy 2:9-10

While searching for information at that time, I came across a check list for modesty (link provided at bottom of post).  It's a great tool to use when examining your wardrobe and your attitude towards fashion. Ask yourself the following questions about modesty:

MODESTY CHECK LIST

· What statement do my clothes make about my heart?


· In choosing what clothes to wear today, whose attention do I desire and whose approval do I crave? Am I seeking to please God or impress others?


· Is what I wear consistent with biblical values of modesty, self-control and respectable apparel, or does my dress reveal an inordinate identification and fascination with sinful cultural values?


· Who am I trying to identify with through my dress? Is the Word of God my standard or is it the latest fashion?


· Have I solicited the evaluation of other godly individuals regarding my wardrobe?


· Does my clothing reveal an allegiance to the gospel or is there any contradiction between my profession of faith and my practice of godliness?


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So, what do you think?  Why should you care to be modest? Most importantly, because modesty is important to God. God doesn't care about being fashionable in the way the world does. He cares about the inside - about your heart. (I Samuel 16:7)  Modesty is a reflection of the heart.


You should also dress modestly because you should care about YOU! Your looks, your clothes, your physical attributes do not make you more valuable as a young woman of God. You are valuable as a young woman because God made you. You are His workmanship! (Ephesians 2:10) Wow! You were created unique and special. God made you that way so that you could glorify Him in all that you do.


Another reason to be modest is because of temptation. While boys and men are ultimately responsible for their own sin (Matthew 5:28) and desires, how you chose to dress can be a temptation to them. That does not mean you make them sin, but you may be the cause of the temptation - sometimes knowingly, but many times, unknowingly. If you do dress to deliberately draw attention to yourself or to certain parts of your body, please consider how this may be unpleasing to God. If you are a Christian, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. (I Corinthians 6:19-20)


We (young, old, men, women) should all be careful that we don't care more about fashion and our popularity in the world than we do about our relationship with Jesus, who is the Savior of our life as Christians.  Our main goals in everything we do, even in the way we dress, should be to glorify God and to please God. Nothing else in life really matters! (I Corinthians 10:31)


For more information about modesty, click here.