Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. I Peter 3:3-5 (nkjv)
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There’s a popular television program “What Not to Wear” which takes a woman in perceived need of fashion help, ditches her wardrobe and makes her over with a new one based on her body type, profession, and personality.
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I was asked recently, what the bible has to say about what women should wear. I’ve been on a bit of a hunt this week for some scriptures as well as resources in this regard. Some of the verses I’m using today refer to adornment/adorning. According to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, this means an ornament or decoration, displaying beauty.
In like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works. 1 Timothy 2:9-10
How should we dress? Based on these two scriptures, a woman is to dress MODESTLY and without so much bling and accessories, that it detracts from the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.
When a woman veils her body in modest clothing, she is not hiding herself from men. On the contrary, she is revealing her dignity to them. ~ Unknown
In my quest this week, I discovered Olivia at Fresh Modesty where she promotes the obvious, with the slogan – Dress Outside Your Box, but inside His Book. Olivia has given me permission to use some of her photos in this post. She’s a young woman on a mission, and I think she’s doing a great job. She shows examples of dressing modestly without giving up fashion. Visit her blog for fresh ideas for your own wardrobe or share with some of the young women in your life.
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| Courtesy of Olivia at Fresh Modesty |
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| Courtesy of Olivia at Fresh Modesty |
Another site I discovered is Modeling Christ with Rachel Lee Carter. Rachel is a speaker, author, Bible Teacher and professional model. I encourage you to explore her informative site for more on this subject. Such as: Everyone’s Opinion of Modest Swimwear or Modesty’s Top 10.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:1-2
Rachel chose not to conform to the world’s standards ~ If you got it flaunt it, but rather Godly standards ~ If you got it, protect it.
This post isn’t about me telling if you should or shouldn’t wear pants, bling, short skirts or even a specific type of bathing suit. The message I’m trying to convey is that God wants us to dress in such a way that honors him. He knows our heart and the motives of our heart.
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The Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:12-14 (niv)
Search me, O God, and know my heart today,
Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray;
See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin, and set me free.
Hymn ~ J. Edwin Orr ~ 1936
Thank you for stopping by today. I appreciate each and every one of you and your comments. Although I can’t respond to all of them, be assured each one is read and treasured.
Having seen some of what passes for style and good taste, I think this is always a timely word. I once wore a flowered dress to church (my mother made it for me so it was truly modest in her opinion and in my own) and an elderly deacon approached me saying that flowered dresses were inappropriate. Hmmm... So everyone has his or her standard. As we yield ourselves to the Lord and draw closer to Him, I believe that He lets us know just what is right for us. I can' wear a shirt that shows any cleavage at all; my pastor's wife can. It will vary from woman to woman. There are some standards that nearly everyone agrees on, of course.
ReplyDeleteThanks for going where angels may fear to tread! =D
Abby!
ReplyDeleteWHAT A LOVELY post today! I have been thinking on this very topic lately & working on a study myself! You've found some WONDERFUL sites!
Our world has SO INFLUENCED the church! And many in the church don't even realize it!
It's SO IMPORTANT for the "older women to teach the younger women!" Titus 2: 4-5.
Beautiful post dear friend...so much truth and wisdom from God's word. A subject much needed to be taught in this day and time. Thank you for sharing....blessings
ReplyDeleteThis was such wonderful post to find in my email this morning. My 18 year old daughter dresses modestly and is careful about the length of her skirts, etc. She loves fashion for the fun of it(loves to sew, remake clothing, etc.) Sometimes she will ask me if a certain outfit is o.k. and if it's o.k. to wear pants. I admit, it's a confusing issue for me sometimes. Some elements of modesty are obvious to me, while others aren't as much. I'll show my daughter this post, as it explains it so well!
ReplyDeleteWonderful and much needed word, Abby. I am going to look at those sites and pass them on to my daughter and SIL who work with the youth at their church. So many of our young people get mixed messages from the church. Sad, but true. I'm so enjoying your posts and words of wisdom. Blessings on your weekend. B
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful post thanks Abby. It reinforces to me what I have always thought. Unfortunately not all young women agree - and immodest dressing is more prominent in the cities than small towns, even in the churches, I have noticed, where there is more pressure to be 'smart' in the world's eyes.
ReplyDeleteBlessings
Maxine
Very well put, Abby. And what a sweetie Olivia is for using her gifts in this way - that is a wonderful ministry.
ReplyDeleteAs always your Scripture Thursdays are a blessing to my heart, dear Abby. This is a subject that so needs to be written about and you've done it sensitively and in a very Godly manner. Thank you for the links to the sites. They are going to be very useful in sharing with others. Hugs and blessings!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful post! I'll have to admit, there was a time during high school when I wasn't so modest with my apparel. I went through a *punk* phase with crazy hair and such, (despite my mom trying to persuade me into the other direction).
ReplyDeleteAfter a while I realized that the punk thing had little to do with kindness and love. This is sort of off subject for the post but... At any rate, I learned that dressing modest was much more comfortable and also made me feel better as a person. People see me for who I truly am and not for the clothes that I wear.
Great post Abby. Definitely needs to be talked about more.
ReplyDeleteThank you ! That is a pretty girl in pretty clothes.
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