I have taken the following excerpt from C. J. Mahaney’s blog. I will be posting a lot of blogs (from C.J. and others) on the all-important (but often ignored) topic of modesty.  Modesty doesn’t have to mean dressing like a prude from the 1800s. I believe it is possible for a woman to be the epitome of modesty while at the same time being beautiful, feminine, modern, and (gasp!) yes…even stylish. 

It’s all about balance. While we shouldn’t obsess over the outward appearance, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t “give two hoots” either.  Because God says that he does not judge us by our outward appearances, but by our hearts, then we should make it a priority to, first and foremost, primp ourselves inwardly — where our Suitor (Christ) is staring.

Here is a taste of C.J.’s first post. To read the post in its entirety, click here.

Many young women, though, are unaware of these worldly dangers. Several years ago I preached a message to our church from 1 Timothy 2:9 entitled “The Soul of Modesty.” Eventually, that message made its way into the hands of a young woman named Jenni. Prior to hearing my sermon, Jenni had no idea what God’s Word said about the clothes she wore, if anything at all. “Modesty used to be a foreign word to me,” Jenni later admitted in a testimony to our church congregation:

My friends aptly nicknamed me ‘Scantily.’ When choosing what to wear I thought only of what would flatter me, what would bring more attention my way, and what most resembled the clothes I saw on models or other stylish women. I wanted to be accepted and admired for what I wore. I enjoyed my attire, the undue attention I received, and the way it stimulated my feelings.

Perhaps you can relate to Jenni. Maybe modesty sounds unappealing to you. If we played word association you’d come up with “out of style” and “legalistic.” Maybe you think God is indifferent about the clothes you wear. What does he care?

But, as Jenni ultimately discovered, there is “not a square inch” of our lives—including our closets—with which God is not concerned. Even more, he cares about the heart behind what you wear, about whether your wardrobe reveals the presence of worldliness or godliness.