Body image

“I want women to be modest in their appearance.

They  should wear decent and appropriate clothing
and not draw attention to themselves by the way
they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or
expensive clothing. For women who claim to be
devoted to God should make themselves attractive
by the good things they do.” I Timothy 2:9-10
(NLT)
I had the honor of traveling the country this past
year talking to young girls and their moms about
a topic I am most passionate about – modesty. I
deeply value modesty and believe it needs to be
taught and modeled to the next generation. We
are called as daughters of the King to live
modestly, so that we aren’t drawing attention to
ourselves, but ultimately that we are pointing the
world to God!
The topic of modesty can be controversial at
times within the church. Some say modesty can
be sexist, while others may take it to the
extremes. Now, we don’t need to run out and
grab our rulers and turtlenecks quite yet –
because modesty isn’t just about what we wear
– it’s about the state of our hearts and how we
present ourselves while representing Who we
serve.
There are many myths and misconceptions when
it comes to modesty – let’s look at five of them.
1. Modesty suggests we are ashamed of our
bodies.
Modesty isn’t about “covering up” our bodies
because we aren’t confident in them. Modesty is
about respecting our bodies and realizing our
value. Beauty isn’t showing more skin – beauty
comes from the inside out. Some of the most
gorgeous women I know live out the call of
modesty, and I believe this makes them even
more beautiful. We are created in the image of
God, my sisters!
2. Modesty is unattractive to the opposite sex.
We’ve all heard the saying, “you are what you
eat.” I believe we attract what we represent. If a
man doesn’t see your beauty because you dress
modestly, then he is not the kind of man you
want to marry! Modesty is attractive. A woman
who is confident in herself, so much so that she
doesn’t see the need to dress immodestly is
attractive. I know so many godly men who only
have eyes for their wives/girlfriends in any room,
not because these women show a lot of skin, but
because these women are confident in who they
are in Christ, and in turn are truly radiant.
3. Modesty isn’t a woman’s problem.
I’ve read and heard a lot of arguments in which it
is stated that women should be able to wear
whatever they want, and if a man has lust in his
eyes, well that’s his problem. Certainly, lust is a
sin, and one in which an individual must answer
for – but why not help our brothers in Christ out
a little by not wearing immodest and indecent
clothing? Men are visual beings, and we can’t
blame them for their struggles if we are
encouraging the problem. Let’s not tease our
brothers in Christ – let’s help them win, and
meanwhile save a little something for our
husband/future husband’s eyes only.
4. Revealing clothing isn’t a distraction – it’s
just clothes.
How we present ourselves matters because of
Who we are ultimately representing. When
clothes are revealing, it is likely we are leaving
an impression of immodesty, instead of leaving
an impression of God. Immodest clothing is a
distraction because it draws attention to us, and
draws attention away from the One we are
representing.
5. Modesty is so 2000 and late.
I’ve often heard that the concept of modesty is
outdated – but God’s Word doesn’t have an
expiration date. We are called to live a modest
lifestyle – no matter our age and no matter the
date on the calendar. Modesty doesn’t have to
come at the price of fashion. A few of my young
friends and I pulled together some of our favorite
modest summer looks to help you jump-start
your summer fashion on the right foot!