Several weeks ago (I think we may be coming up on months now) I started a little post on modesty…and then…I’m not exactly sure what happened. Re-potty training, dropping naps (life with a 2-year-old!) …we put the house up for sale (another story!)…and then there were those pesky wildfires…and well, life happened, I guess!
So, back to the blog, and the promised posts on modesty…I’m sure all 2 of you were holding your breath! 
 Well, if, after passing out from lack of oxygen, you are still interested …by all means, read on…
(If you’ve forgotten, or if you would like to read the post that started this, click here.)
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Unfortunately, for many Christian women – young and old, alike – the word “modesty†brings to mind all that is legalistic, frumpy, and old-fashioned. But that is not the case! Modesty, by definition, is
“The state or quality of being modest;
Reserve or propriety in speech, dress, or behavior;
Lack of pretentiousness; simplicity.â€
While a discussion of modesty would be incomplete without addressing the how and why of clothing styles and choices, there are a few other aspects that are too often ignored in such conversations.Â
I grew up in a Christian (junior high/high) school with a fairly strict dress code, and then went on to a Christian college which enforced a similarly conservative standard. (I say “fairly†strict, because while they were more conservative than some, they came nowhere near the restrictions of other well-known, and oft-mentioned institutions.) But, while the young women at these two schools were, by all outward appearances, modest, for some, their behavior proved that it was just that – outward.
In her little booklet on modesty, The Look, Nancy Leigh DeMoss says, “A heart of modesty affects every aspect of a woman’s life – not just the way she looks, but her attitudes and the way she talks and acts, as well.†(pg. 25) Clothing is, without a doubt, an important component of modesty! But, true modesty is a matter of the heart that includes our thoughts, our speech, and our behavior…And each of those areas – for good or bad – will have a distinct impact on our clothing choices.Â
Luke 6:45 tells us that “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.â€Â Earlier in the same passage, we see that a tree is known by its fruit, whether it be good, or evil. We, as believers, are known by our actions. Of course, you could wear a denim jumper and think that “looking the part†is good enough.  The people around you will be so impressed!  But, are you fooling anyone? Maybe. But, the Bible has a name for people like that…
Matthew 23:27-28 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.â€
The scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day, outwardly, had it all together. They looked great! They knew what to say, how to say it, and what to do…But, they were eventually betrayed by what was in their hearts. They appeared righteous, and surely they fooled many of the people around them. But, Jesus saw through the act. He knew that inside they were full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.Â
It is the same with “modesty†that is only on the outside. You may fool some of the people around you. But the Lord can see through the act to what is really in your heart. Without the proper heart attitude, putting on that denim jumper is akin to a little girl playing dress-up. Wearing modest clothing does not make you modest anymore than wearing the princess costume makes my daughter Cinderella. Like the hypocrites in Matthew, Proverbs 11:22 tells us that “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman without discretion.â€Â
A gold ring can be a beautiful thing – in the proper context. Think of your wedding band. On your hand, or that of your husband, it is a beautiful symbol of the love and commitment that the two of you have before the Lord. But, if you were to put that same ring on a pig, it is useless. The beauty of the symbol is lost. It becomes dirtied and tarnished in the muck of the pigpen.
Is your behavior, and your speech, characterized by discretion and self-control? Or do you act in a way that is intended to “turn heads,†and draw undue attention to yourself? Is your speech full of provocative, suggestive, or inappropriate language? Yes, you can wear the modest clothing, and look good doing it. But, if your words and actions do not match up, you are like that gold ring in the pig’s snout…“a beautiful woman without discretion.â€Â
Is it our motivation to be women who profess godliness – in all areas of our life? Are we adorning the hidden person of the heart with the gentle and quiet spirit that is precious in the sight of God?
Or, are we simply playing dress-up?