This is the second article that I am posting regarding Modesty. The excerpts below are from a seven-part series on modesty written by C. J. Mahaney. You can find all seven of his posts in their entirety over on his Soveriegn Grace Blog.

C. J. writes:

Modesty is humility expressed in dress. It’s a desire to serve others, particularly men, by not promoting or provoking sensuality. Immodesty, then, is much more than wearing a short skirt or low-cut top; it’s the act of drawing undue attention to yourself. It’s pride, on display by what you wear.
One thing I have noticed is that a lot of people think that modesty vs. immodesty is (or not appropriate) based on weight.  A couple years ago, I graciously confronted a girlfriend of mine in the Church who was about ten years younger than me. I pointed out that her shirts were too tight for her, exposing much of her torso and backside whenever she stood up, sat down, or bent over and that this could cause men in our church to stumble. Her response. “I have lost a lot of weight recently. I dressed really modestly back when I was heavy.”

Girls, modesty has nothing to do with our figures. The myth that skinny girls can dress skantily and heavy gals can’t misses the heart of immodesty.

Wrong thinking: “I don’t wear mini skirts because my legs are fat.”
Right thinking: “I don’t wear mini skirts because exposing a lot of flesh sends the wrong message.”
Wrong thinking: “I don’t wear tops that expose my belly button because I have a fat belly.”
Right message: “I don’t wear tops that expose my belly because it might cause boys to stumble.”

The exact same rules apply to all girls – no matter what their shape, size, or weight. C. J. is so right. Modesty is not a fashion issue. It is a heart issue. Clothes should not reflect what we think about our bodies (or what we want others to think). They should reflect our relationship with God.

The Bible tells us to “be holy because I [Jesus] am holy.” Holiness isn’t just an attitude we adopt on Sunday mornings. Holiness isn’t just about reading the Bible or learning to share. Holiness should permeat every inch of our lives.,,it shouldn’t stop short of your closet doors.

When we go clothes shopping we hold up an outfit and ask our friend, “Do you think this looks cute?”  I challenge you to sit down right now and pray about this issue right now. God to the Lord and ask him for HIS opinion. Does God think the outfit you have on right now is cute? Do you think it accurately reflects the holiness of His Son, Jesus?

James 1:5 challenges us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives generously to all without reproach and it will be given to you.”

We need wisdom when it comes to this issue. Face it girls, we do not think like boys! Even if something looks absolutely adorable on you, flatters your figure, and you get a million compliments on it…it could still be an outfit that hurts your Christian brothers and that saddens Christ.

How can we know what blesses our brothers and pleases the Lord? Ask for wisdom and it will be given to you.

Don’t believe the lies that dressing modestly means having to look outdated, frumpy, or homely. With a little bit of creativity, you can still look great.

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.