Truth or Bare?

“The woman who is seeking to gain attention and praise for her physical body, as an immodest woman does, is not seeking to glorify God but herself. A godly woman who is devoted to good works will reflect glory back to God.” Courtney Joseph

As we begin this series on Becoming A Godly Woman, I am excited to share our first topic of discussion-Modesty. Our focus scripture is “Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.” 1 Peter 3: 3-4

What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word “modest”?

There are many viewpoints on Biblical modesty and thousands of blogs full of opinions. However, this blog post will not be a debate on “to bare or not to bare” shoulders, stomachs, or legs. Although our culture centers modesty primarily around clothes, Biblical modesty covers much more.

I recently read an article by Meggie Cotonethal. She stated, “Modesty must be one of the most abused words in the Christianese dialect. The idea of modesty has been almost exclusively attached to women’s dress, narrowing in definition to mean showing less skin and trying to prevent sexual arousal in those looking on.”

Did you raise your eyebrows at that statement too?

One preacher said, “I would like to find out what kind of fruit Adam and Eve ate that made them realize they were naked because I’d like to pass it around again.” Although that statement was humorous in nature, he was right. I wonder if we are even aware of what God’s Word reveals as appropriate versus what is inappropriate? Christians are called to be different. (Romans 12:2)

Being “modest” is more important than being “the hottest”. As we walk through the topic of modesty, I want to challenge you to take your opinions, preferences, and wardrobe off the hanger and play a game of “Truth or Bare?”. The winner will receive God’s blessings.

God’s word is alive and powerful! It is sharper than any double-edged sword. His word can cut through our spirits and souls and through our joints and marrow, until it discovers the desires and thoughts of our hearts. Hebrews 4:12

TRUTH
First, your heart must belong to Jesus. If you are not a believer, please visit Unfolding God’s Plan of Salvation. Contact us, we would love to walk you through the Good News of Jesus Christ and the hope He offers.

As believers, we must daily clothe our hearts with the Word of God. God descriptively designs our attire in Ephesians 6: 10-18 complete with accessories. We must begin our fashion design with humility, seeking the Word of God. By hiding the Word of God in our hearts, It becomes a light to our paths. (Psalm 119: 11, 105) God’s Word is our compass in all aspects of our lives beginning with our heart.

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.“ Ephesians 4:29

TRUTH
The book of James speaks heart piercing statements about the tongue. It is dangerous to open our mouths without filtering our words through the Holy Spirit. Before we put on that Jesus shirt and proclaim our beliefs to the world, we must bridle our tongue. I love the NLT version. It says, “If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.” James 1:26

We all have sinned and we all will sin again. However, if we have accepted the call to take up our cross and follow Him, we can’t let the words from our mouths discredit the grace shed on the cross. Jesus gave His life for us. He died a brutal, unmerciful death. We should “bridle” our tongues speaking modest words of love, grace, hope, and truth for the sake of the Gospel.

TRUTH
We are called to walk in the spirit (Galatians 5:16), but we must first gain wisdom. The book of Proverbs provides numerous examples of how to behave, (walking in the spirit) but begins in verse one telling us to “know wisdom and instruction”. The writer continues to establish guidelines for our behaviors. I would encourage you to take a Proverbs Challenge and read one chapter a day. It will change many things including your behavior.

I hope you are seeing the layers of modesty. The words we speak and the actions we show are secondary to what is rooted within our hearts. Modesty is foundational.

“But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22

As we talked in The Diluted Disciple, we are called to worship and serve God. Our behaviors must reflect the beliefs of our faith. How do we find the beliefs of our faith? We go to The Word. Read it, meditate on it, hide it in our hearts and then DO it–live out our faith.

TRUTH
This last truth combines all areas of modesty we have previously discussed. Our “lifestyle outfit” should imitate and duplicate the image of Christ. Does culture place so much emphasis on “living the American Dream” that we have lost sight of living for God? The type and size of the house, the brand or style of car we drive, and the extra-curricular activities we engage in are not priorities of God. As His disciples, we are called to live out only what God requires, not man.

“He has told you O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

I hope you notice the word “do” in that verse. We must live out our faith. Sound familiar? God provides everything we need to have a modest lifestyle in Him.

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” 2 Peter 1:3

Modesty is more than an article of clothing. We must seek Christ and seek to live out a modest lifestyle reflecting the glory back to the cross.

Time to Unfold

• Read God’s Word: Modesty begins by hiding the Word of God in your heart.
• Pray: Ask God to reveal the areas of your heart, mouth, behaviors, and lifestyle that do not reflect the cross.
• Do: Repent and seek to be a modest disciple of Christ
• Repeat

Seeking Biblical Modesty,