Fighting the Flesh #18: Modesty

“…likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.”—1 Timothy 2:9-10

Modesty is becoming an increasingly rare virtue in our tolerant and permissive culture. We want to show off our bodies—men and women alike. Of course, some things (hopefully) change with age, but we all must be reminded of (or taught), modesty. What is modesty and why is it important? Modesty is the state or quality whereby we are aware of our bodies and seek to present them in such a way that is pure and holy to God. We seek to cover up our bodies, or dress in an appropriate manner so as to bring glory to God. We do not wish to show, or accentuate our bodies in such a manner that those who see us, are tempted to lust or think of us in an impure manner. While this is applicable to both genders, it is more so to women than to men.

It doesn’t take a genius to see that men and women are different. We are different physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually—yet equal in Christ with different and distinct roles. Within the physical realm, men and women are different and delightfully so. Man was created from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7), but woman came from man, “The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man”—Genesis 2:22 (NAS). Man came from dirt, and the woman was fashioned!

There is an allure to a woman, intrinsic to who she is, and who God created her to be. And our world knows this. It is no secret that advertisers use beautiful women to sell everything and anything—because all eyes are attracted to the female form—men and women alike. As it has been jokingly said when a beautiful woman walks into the room, “All the men stare, while all the women compare.”

So, aware of the powerful nature of the female body, God has commanded that women know how to handle and use it. In today’s passage, the Bible says that women should “adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control.” This doesn’t mean that a woman shouldn’t seek to be beautiful. She should, but she should make sure that her beauty points others to God. It is God who made her, who fashioned her. She may be able to accentuate the canvas a bit, but the masterpiece of who a woman is and her allure is a gift from God.

Women are to dress themselves in “respectable apparel, with modesty.” While today’s passage does say that a woman should dress herself, “not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire,” this doesn’t mean that she can’t dress nice. During Timothy’s time the women were seeking to bring themselves undue attention by using their attire to communicate their wealth and importance. But, Paul wants women to be known by godliness and good works, not their wealth and fashion sense. It’s not wrong to be wealthy or fashionable, but it is wrong to flaunt it. God values godliness rather than wealth or fashion combined.

Paul is addressing Timothy so that he might teach women to dress in such a manner that is “proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.” He wants to make sure it is their inner beauty that they are known for before their outer beauty.

The natural inclination of women is to dress in such a way as to attract attention. Although this may not hold true of every woman, it holds true for most. Women do want to be seen, to be noticed, to be admired, and to be told that they look beautiful. Some women, however, have perverted this desire and gone further by degrading themselves by using their curves to bring undue and improper attention, even to the point where men are tempted to lust. Yes, men do need to guard their eyes and exercise self-control, but it is also true that women are to also exercise self-control by dressing “with modesty and self-control.” This is not to say that a woman should not seek to look beautiful—but to be aware of what is accentuated, where the eyes of men are naturally prone to go, and careful so as brothers in Christ are not tempted to lust.

I hope that we may all seek to be modest in our dress. I pray that we may all adorn ourselves with godliness so that we may be known more by what’s inside than outside and that God may receive praise through every aspect of our lives—even the way we dress. Amen.