1 Peter 3:3-5 - Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, 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. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful.
That is an excellent question and one that is rarely answered well. It's like the "how far is too far?" question. We want some rules to go by (as long as they're just suggestions) but we don't want to get to the root of it all and look at our hearts. The question I would ask to get to the root issue is "who are you dressing for?" If you're dressing to get the attention of guys, then you'll probably wear stuff that's too revealing, short, tight, and in general inappropriate. If you're dressing to fit in with a certain crowd, you'll wear what they wear even if it's wrong or stupid. If you're dressing to impress other girls, you'll be so caught up in fashion, shopping and appearances that you'll end up shallow, self-focused and probably broke. However, if you're dressing to please God it takes a lot of the pressure off, because He's much easier to please than the general public.
Try this - imagine Jesus is in your room each morning as you're getting ready (because He's there whether you remember it or not) and dress to be attractive to Him alone. Then the question becomes, "How do I dress for Jesus each day instead of myself or others?" Think of it this way...Jesus calls you His bride, His beloved, and at the same time you're a child of God which makes you royalty. How would a royal bride dress and act on a daily basis? She probably wouldn't shoot for sexy or desperate, or let her wardrobe be decided by the people around her, because she would want to represent her family and her soon-to-be husband well. She wouldn't have to adjust her clothes all day because they're too short and tight and she would be comfortable enough in what she's wearing that she can think about others and help them when needed.
Go back and read the verses at the top and really think them through. True beauty has nothing to do with what you wear, and a person who is truly beautiful in spirit can rock just about any outfit. Imagine the freedom in that...
Comments (8)
Hi,
I just wanna say thanks a ton for that it was very special to me,
Every morning i wake up and get dressed and most of the time i dont even think of God being there beside me, but instead just dress in what is accepted by the world, and i dont even think of what God thinks when he sees me in what I'm wearing! so i just wanna thank you for just reminding me that God is with me every moment of every day, and I just really need to remember that! Thanks again.
Posted by Rebekah | March 2, 2009 5:26 PM
Hi-
I just stumbled upon this website while at work and wanted to offer my own tidbit of information. I'm a 22 year old girl that rarely wears make up and finds that the best way to dress is for yourself in what makes you feel comfortable.
Being confident and comfortable in your own skin is attractive to everyone and I just recently reached this point in my own life. People compliment my appearance all the time and I'm often taken aback by that because I put so little effort into it but like I said...I'm comfortable being 'me' and that shines through and makes a much stronger impression that any revealing outfit ever could.
Posted by Jackie | March 6, 2009 11:52 AM
hey, I have a problem that is ... i am more developed than my friends. They wear kinda immodest clothes without showing things. Me and my friend went into a store and took out the same shirt when i tried it on it made my breasts look bigger, with her it made her waist look smaller. i just want you to know that you did help me and that i can now picture in my mind what would look good and modest on me. Thanks
Posted by mia | March 24, 2009 10:45 PM
natural and comfortable is the best way to go. i'm only 12, so i don't wear makeup and i dress modestly. still, i don't put a lot of effort into my look. while most of my friends wear at least a little mascara or lipstick, i don't wear any makeup and am pretty surprised when people tell me how photogenic i am.
just remember to stick with your own style while staying modest.
modest is hottest!
Posted by Anonymous | March 26, 2009 4:27 PM
This article is very helpful and reminds me of a survey done by two Christian brothers on modesty. The survey consisted of a tons of different questions submitted by Christian girls regarding modesty, from the way girls dress to the makeup they where, and even how your posture and movement affects your modesty! They put the results on a website and I have found it very helpful. Here's where you can find it:
http://www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey/browse
I hope you guys find it as interesting as I do!
Posted by Anonymous | October 28, 2009 2:07 PM
Hi, I live in India and modesty is huge here. I can never wear shorts or tank tops or anything! I always get stared at badly by guys just because I'm white, ever since I was 10. I dont mind not getting to wear stuff, even thought something I cant wear is inmodest at all, but I've gotten used to it. When were gone somewhere else my mom gets me somethig but I feal weird wearing it, an dhse gets mad when i say It's to inmodest. and this year I'm going back to America for the first time since we left.......I would never wear something inmodest and Im gonna keep this in mind while were there.
Posted by Lily | April 29, 2010 9:35 PM
Wear clothes that flatter your body, while still having a modest appearence. :) I recommend clothes that fit you well and compliment your body in a good way. Make sure your clothes fit you properly, it gives off a more professional appearence. Try a cute ruffled shirt or nice jeans. There a tons of great styles to choose from. I find that the bo-ho, kinda chic/vintage look is really easy to wear and more modest than other styles. Do your makeup in a way that benefits your features without making you look like a cake face! Get a nice haircut too. Something that compliments your face. When you go out shopping try new styles. Before you buy something know how you are going to wear it modestly. Easy tricks is seeing if it shows off too much booty or cleavage! XD If you shows off parts of your body that make you look inapropriate than you shouldn't buy it. :)
Posted by Sarah! | May 2, 2010 12:16 PM
Hi everyone! I'm 12 and found your post helpful. Even though I don't dress to impress anyone. But I don't want to go outside looking terrible (bed hair, un-showered) I don't wear any make-up at all. I don't straighten/curl my hair. I wake up, put on jeans and a t-shirt, brush my hair and I'm ready to go! I dress pretty modestly, but with a girly sense of style it's different. I have what they call a "flat chest" but it doesn't affect me as much as my friends. I am home-schooled so I don't have to worry about wearing clothes to school. Although I go to church 3 times a week. Usually, 1 of those days I wear a cute, modest dress. I went to thelimited.com and was surprised what's in style: short-shorts, tight, revealing shirts, and VERY short dresses. I try to go the world's idea of fashion, so if someone asks I get an opportunity to tell them I'm "dressed fo succes" for Jesus-not any boy or the "popular girls" (they wear short-shorts, tight shirts that show an inch of belly and are low cleavage) I do it gladly so I can reflect Jesus through my choices in clothes. : )
God bless all y'all. And if you are struggling with this, remember, when people see you, they should see Him. Christians should live as if we were moons-not shining our own light, but reflecting the Son's
Love you all and hope you have a wonderful week.
Posted by Grace | June 27, 2010 7:39 PM