My thoughts on clothes and how to dress completely changed when I matured in my faith. I thought it might be cute to wear shorts and a crop top – not that I ever had the confidence (back then anyway) to ever do so.
I didn’t even consider how what I wear would affect others and the body God has given me. Now that I’ve matured, I’ve realized what I wear does matter.
Many Christian women wear revealing clothing like bikinis, backless dresses, crop tops, short shorts, short skirts, and more.
This shouldn’t be the case.
We shouldn’t be dressing like the world. Instead, we should be set apart from it. Dressing modestly is a virtue and one God cares about.
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What does the Bible say about dressing modestly?
Here are a couple of bible verses about dressing modestly.
“I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God,” (1 Timothy 2:9-10 NIV).
In the context of this passage, the Apostle Paul is giving instructions on how to worship. In modern times, we could relate this to what we wear when we go to church. However, this also applies to what we wear on a day-to-day basis. Overall, what the Apostle Paul is arguing is that we should be more concerned about doing the will of God than clothing.
“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight,” (1 Peter 3:3-4 NIV).
True beauty doesn’t come from our appearance. It comes from our inner being. We need to be more concerned about our character and following the Lord than our appearance.
Why is modesty important?
Modesty is important because the Bible tells us to dress modestly.
In the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul tells us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). We need to treat our bodies with respect and dress appropriately.
Dressing modestly also helps our brothers and sisters in Christ. In Matthew 5, Jesus raises the bar when it comes to the law. He speaks about various sins but I want to point you specifically to the part where He talks of adultery.
Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart,” (Matthew 5:27-28 NIV).
When we don’t dress modestly, we risk having our brothers and sisters fall into sin. Of course, it wouldn’t be entirely our fault, but we should help prevent it from happening if possible.
Misconceptions About Modesty
There are many misconceptions about what it means to dress modestly. Here are those common misconceptions.
Misconception #1: Dressing modestly is only for women.
Dressing modestly is not only for women – it’s for men too. However, it seems more women struggle with their appearance than men do.
Most men seem to dress appropriately. In society, women are pressured more to look a certain way while men aren’t.
Misconception #2: Dressing modestly means covering up all skin.
Dressing modestly doesn’t mean you have to cover up all your skin. You don’t have to dress from head to toe. You can still wear nice clothes and be modest.
There are some that believe you should cover as much skin as possible and that’s fine if you believe that. But it’s not necessary to cover all your skin.
Misconception #3: Dressing modestly means the same thing for everyone.
Dressing modestly doesn’t mean the same thing for everyone. There is a lot of grey area about what’s modest and what isn’t.
Some Christians feel they can’t wear shorts, while others feel it’s okay as long as it’s at a good length. We are different people – we don’t always have the same convictions as the next person.
Misconception #4: Dressing modestly means you can’t be fashionable.
Some women appreciate fashion more than others. Most women like to look nice and might think dressing modestly means you can’t be fashionable.
This isn’t true though. It might be more difficult to find modest clothing that looks nice (believe me, I know) but there are modest, cute clothes out there! You just need to spend more time finding them. Personally, I think it’s worth the effort and time to be modest and obey the Lord.
Is it a sin to wear expensive clothing?
Earlier in this post, I quoted scripture that relates to wearing expensive clothing.
“I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God,” (1 Timothy 2:9-10 NIV).
From this verse, it seems like we’re not supposed to wear expensive clothes. I think it’s okay to dress up and sometimes the occasion calls for it.
However, I don’t think we should make it a habit to wear expensive clothing. I do think it can be a sin if you allow it to become a regular occurrence.
There are many other ways to use money more wisely than spending it on expensive clothes. We can use that money to help others or help the church.
So, is it a sin to wear expensive clothing? It depends. Examine your heart and pray to God about it.
So, does God care about what you wear?
Yes, God cares about what you wear to an extent. Dressing modestly is important because it’s a sign of respect to our bodies and it helps others not to fall into sin.
At the same time, God doesn’t consider a person’s appearance like many of us do, but rather considers the heart.
“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart,’ (1 Samuel 16:7 NIV).
Is your heart in the right place?
I’ll end with this verse: “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised,” (Proverbs 31:30 NIV).
Questions When Considering What to Wear
- Would I be comfortable wearing this to church?
- Do I have an alternative motive for wearing this?
- Do I have any ill intentions for wearing this?
- Am I trying to gain the attention of others?
- Does my attire bring glory to God?
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