My mind started to wander during a mandatory store meeting at David’s Bridal. I started to think about how tired I was and how I was going to go to bed early that night. To say the least, I was not thinking about work until the management team started to pass around pictures. They discussed what was appropriate to wear at work now that spring is here. As the management team continued to talk, a question came to my mind: If the corporate world is concerned about dressing appropriately, how much more should I, as Christian woman, be concerned about dressing godly?
1 Timothy 2:9 states, “Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness” (NASU). Paul states that a woman is to dress in proper clothing. Clothing that is modest and discreet is proper. He also writes that Christian women should make a claim to godliness by doing good works and not by how they look. The Greek word to describe “modesty” is defined as a sense of shame or bashfulness and the Greek word to describe “discreetly” means to be sober and have self-control. Peter confirms Paul’s teaching, saying, “Your adornment must not be merely external —braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be? ?the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God” (1 Peter 3:3-4). Therefore, as a Christian woman, I am to dress with a sense of shame, bashfulness, sobriety, and self-control, claiming godliness by doing good works.
It can be hard at times to know what is appropriate and pleasing to God and not to become complacent since women are portrayed to look a certain way every where I go, from driving by billboards to looking through magazines. A woman of the world may dress to impress and bring attention to herself by having the wrong intentions. Nevertheless, as a Christian woman, I am to dress so that I am pleasing to God. I am to dress differently from the women of the world. My heart and my intentions reflect in what I wear. I have to ask myself, “Why I am wearing what I am wearing and am I making a claim to godliness by what I am wearing?” I have to remind myself daily to dress the way God
wants me to dress and not how I or any one else desire.
Wayne Jackson, founder of the Christian Chronicle states, “Modern immodesty has not liberated women; rather, it has enslaved them to lifestyles that have only degraded them, and marred the glorious image their Creator intended them to enjoy.” As a Christian, I am liberated from the bondage of trying to look a certain way if I am willing to apply what God says and not live by the standards of the world, but by His Word.
References
Jackson, W. (1997-2010). The value of modesty. Christian Courier. Retrieved March 21,2010, from http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/65-the-value-of-modesty
By Kerstin Allison
Kerstin and her husband, Britton, are graduates of The Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver. They now live in Oklahoma City, OK and worship with the church that meets at North MacArthur. Currently they are going to school and once they are finished, they hope to do international mission work.
Welcome! We are so glad you stopped by. Come Fill Your Cup is a group of Christian ladies dedicated to equipping women for study and service. We know you are busy and that life’s hectic pace pulls you in so many directions, but you can’t truly be the woman God desires unless you take time to fill your own cup…not with spa days (though we love a good spa!) or the latest novel…but with God’s Holy Word. We want to help you with that! Our goal is to reach you in the midst of your busy day and give you encouragement, education, and fellowship as you strive to live the life God has laid before you. Our prayer is that we can help fill your cup so that you, in turn, can overflow to all those around you. So, as we like to say…come fill your cup, and let it overflow!
Excellent thought! I especially appreciate the quote at the end – it’s encouraging to think that as the last piece in God’s creation, the woman had a certain “crowning glory” about her. And she didn’t need any help with that – it is simply the way God made her. As the perfectly-suited “helper,” she was made to fit in every way – physically, spiritually, emotionally. When we dress to “flaunt what we got,” we are not fulfilling our purpose and we become nothing more than a stumbling block.
In Matthew 18:7, Jesus says, “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For (F)it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!”
Thanks for the encouragement – I needed it!
*sorry about the random (F) footnote marker. That’s what I get for using copy/paste! 🙂
Hadn’t thought about the “crowning glory”… Great thought! And amen to the rest too. ;o)
I enjoyed your article – and I also love the title! If we would give our clothing choices “just a thought”, how much more pleasing we would be to God. Thank you for the reminder to bring glory to our Father in how we dress! :^)
Kerstin,
I have always admired your focus and determination on the subject of modesty. It takes a daily effort and it is nice to have a reminder from time to time. I hope we will all strive to be adorned in good works so that we can truly be women working toward GODLINESS (1 Tim 2:9-10) Thank you for your thoughts.
I enjoyed your thoughts on modesty. Modesty or the lack of modesty is a terrible problem in this world. I am so shocked at what women wear and that they appear to have no understanding of what their clothing does to their character and especially what it does to the males who view them. The church should be our haven from the tempting display that some women have to show, but it is not. Being shamefaced is a very important quality a godly woman should show and teach about. Thank you for article! I really liked reading Wayne Jackson’s quote. Let’s keep encouraging one another to modesty!
Thank you so much for your article. I work with the teen girls at our church and this is certainly an issue that is not discussed enough. It is not something mothers talk to their daughters about and people are always afraid to offend. It is so necessary for them to understand by dressing in a way to “flaunt what they’ve got” they not only have the completely wrong mindset about their bodies, but act as a stumbling block for the teen boys! Again, thank you for your article!!!
Great article, Kerstin! I appreciate you and this encouragement so much!!
Amen sister friend! Sadly last week a dear christian sister was wearing a skirt she just got but was lamenting that it was too short for her to wear to work…huh?!? Anyone else see a problem with that? Keep up the good work!