Why Do I Dress Modestly?

Howdy everyone. :) Hope you're all well, full of peace, and joyful in Jesus.

So I've had this post stirring up in me for a while and then it was also providently confirmed as well so I'm going to go with it. Modesty is thrown out the window in most homes these days including Christian ones which is awful. And so I feel the need to talk about it.



So, WHY DO I DRESS MODESTLY?

1. Because I want to please and  honour God versus man.

 Galatians 1:10 reads, "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." We aren't here, as Christians, to please the world by the way we dress but to please God.

With the sin of Achan in Joshua 7 he coveted, stole, and hid the "Babylonish garment" in his tent. It cost him his life (as well as his family's).  Are you coveting after the world's clothes/styles? Do you want to look just like the world? Do you remember Dinah? She went out to see the daughters of the land in Genesis 34 and it cost Dinah her purity.

I really know nothing about the "styles" of the day (as I really don't care to look just like the world). My ignorance showed through the other night when I was asked if a certain type of skirt was "in style" or not. I was like, "Ummm... I have no idea. And I really don't care to know."

 I don't like to wear the stupid mall brand clothes, shop at the mall with the world,  waste my life (and money) trying to be "in style", and I especially don't like to wear things like "Aroepostate" (Ooops! I mean "Aeropostale *wink wink*)  across my chest. My Dad pointed out the fact that YOU are literally paying these companies money just so YOU can advertise for THEM! Profound observation.

 I'm not saying you have to wear only old fashioned or handmade clothes. But if you really think that you have to wear only mall or name brand clothes and buy a completely new wardrobe every season then there's something wrong there. I am saying moderation though. I will talk more about moderation in a little bit.

2. Because it's commanded by God.

1 Timothy 2:9 says, "In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;"

What is "modest" exactly? Pants (on women), bikinis, mini skirts, little tank tops, skin tight shirts, low cut tops, flashy colors/patterns, etc. just aren't modest. Tough but true. Some woman try to say that a pair of modest pants are more modest than a skirt. But what is more feminine? A modest pair of pants or a modest skirt/dress? We are also striving to be feminine in how we dress. Pants are just masculine. Period

Woman first started wearing pants in the WWII when they would put on their HUSBAND'S pants while the men were out at war. Read this article:

"Since the adoption of trousers in Western Europe in Late Antiquity, trousers have been largely worn by men and not by women until the early 20th century.

In 1919, Luisa Capetillo challenged the mainstream society by becoming the first woman in Puerto Rico to wear trousers in public. Capetillo was sent to jail for what was then considered to be a "crime", but the judge later dropped the charges against her.

Women increasingly wore trousers as leisurewear in the 1920s and 30s. In the early 20th century female pilots and other working women often wore trousers. Actresses Marlene Dietrich and Katharine Hepburn were often photographed in trousers from the 1930s.

During World War II, women working in industrial work in war service wore their husbands' (suitably altered) trousers, and in the post-war era trousers were still common casual wear for gardening, socialising, and other leisure pursuits.
Similarly, in Britain during the Second World War, because of the rationing of clothing, many women took to wearing their husbands' civilian clothes to work while their husbands were away in the armed forces. This was partly because they were seen as work garments, and partly to allow women to keep their clothing allowance for other uses. As the men's clothes wore out, replacements were needed, so that by the summer of 1944 it was reported that sales of women's trousers were five times more than in the previous year."

 The bible says, "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God." (Deuteronomy 22:5) When someone says, "Who wears the pants in your family?" You know what they're implying. It should be the MAN and not the woman of the house. There should be a CLEAR line of distinction between a man and a woman. We should aim to be as FEMININE (or as MASCULINE if you're a male) as you can.

3. Because I want to show that I'm on God's side.

 Believe it or not people do judge by your outward appearance. And, believe it or not, you do show what's inside by what you're wearing on the outside. When you're on someone's team you wear their uniform. Who's team are you on? God's or Satan's? What does your "uniform" tell everyone else?
 4. Because it's pleasing to my patriarchal father.

When you get dressed for the day do you ask God if your outfit is glorifying to Him? I think you should. And if you have a good patriarchal Father or husband you could also ask him as well.
They know what is modest (if they're truly patriarchal) and they know what guys like to see in a godly woman.
I really like getting my Dad's opinion on things; I even asked him how he likes me to wear my hair and he told me. He likes my hair natural (which is curly), to wear it down when I can, and long.

5. Because I have charity and respect for my future husband.
My body is NOT for sale and so I dress in a way that clearly advertises that. I'm saving myself completely for my future husband and have NO desire to try and attract every other guy out there. Do you honour your future husband (or the husband that you have right now) by the way you dress? Also think about the reputation you're building as a single... Will your future husband be able to have joy in knowing that you saved yourself completely for him alone? I hope so.
I really don't understand why women like guys to look at them in a wrong way. It baffles my mind that you wouldn't want to keep yourself completely for your ONE man and that you would literally want a man to sin. VERY JEZEBEL.  That brings me to my next point:

6. Because I also have charity and respect for my brothers in Christ.
I would NEVER want to be held responsible for causing a brother in Christ to stumble. You should think about that when you get dressed in the morning! Is it fervent charity towards a brother in Christ to be dressed so bad he's under stress just to be able to talk to you (or look at you) in a pure way? No.
It's total selfishness for you to be like, "Who cares! I'll wear what I want to wear!" God cares. Also be careful about accidentally causing a brother to stumble by your carelessness. Try to be conscious if you're neck line is showing cleavage, bra strap is hanging out, or skirt is revealing your thigh.

7. Because it affects how you feel about yourself.
How you dress also affects the way you feel. If you're dressed in work clothes you feel dirty and you feel like working; If you're dressed in a pretty dress you feel pretty and you feel like sitting up straight and acting sweet; if you're dressed in immodest clothes I'm sure you feel like being "wanton" or flirting or seductive or any other sort of Jezebel sin; and if you're dressed in a certain uniform you feel apart of that team.
Do you remember being little and dressing up in "princess" gowns that were way too big, twirling 'round and 'round, and feeling like you were SO beautiful? I always knew that princesses were pretty because they wore such beautiful dresses (I was crushed when I was about 7 or 8 because I saw a video of the Queen of England wearing plain pants and not a "queenly gown". ha ha).

You almost ALWAYS see a bride wearing a wedding GOWN (I've never seen a bride in pants but I'm sure in this rebellious generation they do it...).

I know that some people think that they can't dress modestly because they might do things that would make them be immodest in a skirt (like letting your skirt fly up, or sitting with your legs spread, etc.). But the more you dress modestly the more practice you get and the more your subconscious mind will help you as well. I've worn skirts/dresses for so long I don't even have to think about keeping my skirt down or the such like.
As a matter of fact you CAN do just about anything in a skirt (you may need leggings underneath and a little imagination...but it IS possible). I've done: hiking; HARD physical work; ballet dancing; working out at the gym; sweaty games of basketball, badminton, tag, and even flag football; gun shooting, knife throwing, and archery; horse back riding; sledding; jumping on trampolines; four wheeler riding; chopping wood; sledding; etc. etc. It is possible to be modest and still have a lot of fun.

Another funny thing is that I'm so conditioned to modesty that I actually blush when I see immodest woman!  Makes me feel really sad for them as well... I'm always thinking, "Do you really have like zero self respect?"

 Also remember to be modest when it comes to your make-up as well. Do you really need to look like you just mildewed out in the rain? Why do you feel the need to cake on the mascara/eye liner until your eyelashes look like a black widow spider's legs? Moderation and modesty is key here as well. If you really look "washed out" and need a little color go for some natural color. Don't try to look like some fake cosmetic model (They look GROSS in my opinion). I personal really like the look of "natural beauty" and try to employ that on myself when I wear make-up. Lately I've been into clear or brown mascara and light brown eye liner. Some days I don’t wear any at all! I like to look like I'm not wearing make-up at all (most don't know I'm wearing it). Actually the most make-up I ever wore at one time was at my brother's wedding (which still wasn't a whole lot by worldly standards) but I didn't like my face all day. ha ha
But yeah, I think you should be the best YOU that you are. Don't try to look like those JEZEBEL models out there. Natural beauty is WAAAYYY prettier than fake black eyed nonsense.

 And the last thing I want to talk about is modesty when you're posting pictures of yourself as well. What if you came out to my blog and every single post was a million different pictures of me doing different poses, or trying out new make-up ideas, or what have you, What would you think? I don't think that that would be very God pleasing, do you? If you're out to post pictures because you want guy approval and you want to be the "prettiest girl" on FaceBook (or Instagram or whatever) then your heart is not right. I like good photography, but I don't like it when girls are ridiculously vain and after attracting the opposite sex rather then glorifying God. And these CRAZY filters that people  are doing now- yeah, NOT pretty at all. FAKE is NOT beautiful, y’all! 

Titus 2:3-5,

"The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."
Proverbs 31:10,
"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies."

Also remember to put on The Lord Jesus Christ, the garments of praise, the whole armour of God, humility, and zeal as a cloak.

Well, I need to go. I hope this was a decent post on modesty! There's a lot more I could say but for time's sake I'll get off here now.

Be blessed fellow laborers, 

Hope Jerusalem <3