Bethany is a member of Bethel Protestant Reformed Church in Schaumburg, Illinois. She wrote this paper for a school assignment at Schaumburg Christian School.
Magazines capitalize on immodesty to increase their subscriptions. Television networks uncover the body to boost their ratings. Advertisers use it to sell their products. Not only has the body become a tool of the world, but it has also become its idol. As Christians, we are not to be conformed to the world, but in the area of modesty, we have been tainted by the wor1d’s influence.
The American College Dictionary defines modesty as “freedom from boastfulness, free of egotism, free of ostentation,” and “regard for decency of behavior, speech, and dress.” The Bible defines modesty as “the adornment of a meek and humble spirit” (I Peter 3:4). This is an area that needs to be addressed by Christians. Though all of us agree that the world has overstepped the boundaries of modesty, where do we set our own limits?
Since modesty is almost always associated with clothing, the Christian must regard the appearance as a special responsibility. Clothing was originally made to cover the body. The world now uses clothing, or the lack of it, to draw attention to the body. We must thoughtfully consider why we dress as we do. Being stylish is not wrong as long as we do not use “style” as a license to dress immodestly. Amy Vanderbilt in her book of etiquette says that “style is a question of character as well as external characteristics.” What does our clothing say about our character? Sometimes even Christian parents permit, or even encourage their daughters to wear what at one time was worn only by women of disrepute. They want their daughters to be noticed. Where do young women set their boundaries? Each may differ slightly, but we must listen to our consciences and to God’s Word. The Bible admonishes women to “adorn themselves in modest apparel,” in that “which becometh women professing godliness.”
But clothing is just one aspect of modesty. Modesty is more than apparel. It is also “decency of behavior and speech.” Immodesty is much more than short skirts and low cut dresses. We can also be immodest in our actions, which are often the expression of our pride and egotism, not our humility and modesty. We use our worldly possessions to aid us in immodesty. By flaunting our homes, our cars, our diamonds, our clothing, we add to our self-esteem by making others envious. Our talents and skills are used in the service of self. Whether it be an ability to shoot a basket, ride a motorcycle, or “ace” a test, if we use it to steal attention, it is a sin. Of all the words that we speak in one day, how many are about our feelings, our problems our ideas, our abilities our experiences, our accomplishments, and our opinions. So often our words are not about the God we serve or the friends we don’t deserve, but about the most important person to us—ourselves. Not only must we consider who we talk about, but how. So many of our words today are loud and shameless. Even dominating a conversation is a subtle form of immodesty.
Both our apparel and our actions express our attitude. Even among Christians, a modest view of life is not very popular. We dress up the sin of pride in the word self-esteem and allow ourselves to do or say anything that puts us in the center of attention. Instead of “esteeming others better than ourselves” we want the world to revolve around us.
Some of the most shameless displays of immodesty can be found on television talk shows. Speaking of them, Chicago Tribune columnist Leonard Pitts says, “Even if you can’t sing or tell a joke, you can still be famous, still have that 15 minutes. You just have to be willing to strip yourself naked: physically emotionally, spiritually—for the amusement of watching eyes…you wonder if they realize that 15 minutes is a very short span of time.” What are the reasons that we ought to be humble? The brevity of life can give us a perspective of our real importance. The Bible says that “all flesh is as grass…the grass withereth and the flower fadeth, but the word of the Lord endureth forever.” We are also to have the proper self-esteem. “In lowliest of mind let each esteem the other better than himself” (Phil. 2:3). This realization will become evident in our actions. The Bible speaks of the vanity of life, that pride goeth before destruction. Pride is condemned. Humility is praised. We see the greatest example of humility in Jesus Christ who subjected Himself to the death of the cross. When we see our unworthiness before a perfect God, we will become modest.