Modest is Hottest

1 Timothy 2:9a "I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety"

1 Corinthians 8:9-13 "Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brother in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall."

As you may have guessed, today I'd like to talk about modesty. I have been asked before, what's the point of being modest? Quite frankly I think it's just classy, but it's more than that. It's respectful to all guys, to your future husband, to yourself, and to God. You are showing respect for other guys when you dress modestly by not causing them to stumble as the verses above warn against. You are showing respect for your future husband by keeping your body sacred and for his eyes only. You are showing respect for yourself by keeping your body to yourself and not allowing trends to persuade you away from God's will. You are showing respect for God by being respectful to all of the above and by complying with his will as it is clearly portrayed in the Bible.

Usually after I answer the question of why it's important to dress modestly, I'm posed with the question, "What exactly is modesty?" While everyone portrays modesty a little differently and it applies differently because we're all different shapes and sizes, the following are general tips and guidelines for adhering to modesty.

1.) Can you bend over without exposing too much cleavage?
-Some shirts may be okay standing up, but if you bend over you will expose a lot and cause more attention than you want. Sometimes it's hard to find shirts that will stay up. I highly recommend tank tops. If you are like me and sometimes even have trouble with tanks, I suggest trying ones that cut straight across (not scoop or v-necks) and have adjustable straps. :D

2.) Can you sit down without people seeing up your skirt?
-if your skirt is too tight or too short that when you sit down people can see up your skirt, it's not modest. I generally try to keep skirts within four inches of the knee and not so tight that I'm constantly having to pull it down. You may feel called to wear your skirts longer, that's between you and your parents.

3.) Are your jeans so tight that the cut into you? Is your shirt so tight that it slips up or shows every curve you have?
-I grouped these two questions together because they are essentially the same. As far as jeans, if you can't squat comfortably or you have trouble getting into them when it's that time of the month, they are too tight. Personally I don't like to shop juniors section for pants, I generally go to the misses section. The pants aren't usually made to fit as tight and honestly they have more of a flattering fit. As for shirts, you don't want them to be so tight that you constantly have to worry about it slipping up and showing midriff or showing off every curve or insecurity you have (which we hope you don't have but that's another story). I don't think it's bad for a top to be fitted, just not too tight. You shouldn't have to peel it off.

4.) Is my Bikini okay to wear? What about a Tankini?
- Now many people have different views on swimsuits, but my general analysis is that bikinis are NOT modest. Bikinis show a lot of cleavage, completely bare midriffs, and barely cover your bottom. Even some of the more modest bikinis still show too much. Now you may like wearing tankinis. I myself wear a tankini a lot. But the question here is, does the tankini cover your midriff? I make sure mine does. And the tankini shouldn't show too much cleavage either. Now I've heard girls say, "but if we do that then our stomachs will be white!" Well to be straight-forward and honest here, if you are adhering to modesty and purity (which is what we are about here) nobody is going to see your tummy anyway, so what does it matter?? My suggestion is to wear tankinis or one pieces that cover you midriff and don't show too much cleavage.

5.) Well does all this mean I have to dress in baggy, ugly clothes for the rest of my life?
-NOOOO!!!! You can be modest and still look cute! Modesty simply means that you are trying not to cause any young man to stumble. Honestly, a lot of times when you aren't dressing modestly you aren't flattering your body either. Dressing modestly is usually more flattering. Modesty can still have nice clean lines and cute fun clothes, and it covers you!

Final question you may be asking, how does this play into purity? Simple put, you are keeping your body pure by keeping it for your husbands eyes only and not displaying it for the whole world to see. Also, if you dress modestly, you are helping young men not to stumble.

Okay, so modesty is important, but don't let it be a chore! Modesty can be fun, I have just as much fun picking out outfits as I would if I weren't dressing modestly! I hope this helps you better apply modestly to your life!

Love, Kat