Modesty

Modesty: voluntarily placing limits on one's freedom.

As I've grown as a Christian woman over the past 10 years I have heard much on the topic of modesty. What kind of person does this word conjure up in my mind... prudish? school-marmish? holier-than-thou? Angela from The Office? Most likely it's negative. For the Christian (man and woman) modesty shouldn't be a burden, but a privilege. Can I even say we can take pride in our modesty? What does our outward appearance say about our beliefs concerning eternity–or more importantly, to Whom we belong? Does it even matter–why would anyone believe God cares about what we wear?

"But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" ... The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them."
Genesis 3:9-11, 21

When Adam and Eve realized their nakedness, God covered them to keep them from shame. As several books on this topic also point out, God created clothing to cover parts of our bodies reserved for sexual intimacy within marriage. In addition to this argument, we can safely say He did not create clothing to reveal selected parts (stating the obvious here: this includes cleavage on both the front and back sides, accidental or otherwise).

I struggle with this practically speaking–hip-huggers have been the style for years and necklines plunge about as low as their counterpart skirt hemlines rise. I feel compelled to write this now, coming on the tail end of a summer in the city where I was bombarded with styles that left little to the imagination. The most unfortunate part of it all is that during our hours spent in church we were shown almost no less skin than while walking through the park in our neighborhood on a sunny day.

This lack of modesty among Christians frustrates me as a married woman (wanting to protect my marriage, my husband, my self-esteem and those of our brothers and sisters–for Jesus said that if you even look at a woman lustfully you have committed adultery with her in your heart). There are many facets of modesty that are open for discussion, but the one I feel needs to be continually addressed is showing skin. The thing that was unique about Adam and Eve's nakedness pre-fall is that they didn't realize it. Their marriage was in perfect harmony with God's plan. This continues to the marriage relationship today–with nakedness being good and holy between the married man and woman–it is the closest to Eden at which we can arrive on this side of Heaven.

When we choose to cover ourselves we show quiet confidence in our inner beauty (which is how the holy women of the past made themselves beautiful–we are considered Sarah's daughters if we do not give way to fear). We show respect to our husbands, brothers, sons and fathers by not encouraging thoughts that may already be a struggle. We show humility as we consider that being stylish does not mean adopting the standards of this world–and recognize that being holy means being separate from the world. We show reverence to our Maker by respecting the necessary blood shed to cover the first realized human nakedness–and the Perfect blood shed to cover our sins throughout history.

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
1 Thess 5:11

I hope we can encourage one another in this issue–lovingly, peaceably and honestly. Modesty shouldn't be a sensitive or taboo topic, but becomes so when we avoid speaking plainly.