Saturday, July 30, 2005
Whatever Happened to Modesty?
We live in an immodest society. This is unquestionable. Those things that use to make us blush, today don't even cause us to bat an eye. The public airways are replete with all types of indiscretion and innuendo. The commercialism of sex has trivialized it and caused it to lose much of its heavenly luster, as it is transformed in to a lustful highway of temporary, momentary fulfillment, and often long-term and permanent failure. Yet in actuality, this can be understandable in a world where sin reigns, where the natural mind is not subject to the law of God, nor can it be. Unfortunately, modesty has fallen out of favor and beauty in the church as well. No longer are women seeking to obey the command of God to "adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control" (1Tim. 2:9). While it may seem a minor thing, actually reformation in the church must begin with reformation in the heart. If you want to see reform in your church, one avenue is the proclamation of Gospel. Yet tied to that is the reclamation of modesty among our women. Here's some help for you. Carolyn Mahaney, wife of former pastor C.J. Mahaney, and her daughters have put together a handy and healthy pamphlet entitled, The Modesty Heart Check. My wife and other women have found this helpful. Surely you will too.
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One thing I'd add is that modesty is about more than appearance. I have heard the story from many a Christian mother who has worked hard to inculcate principles of modesty in her children: She's out with her daughter when they spot a scantily clad woman, and little Susie pipes up loud and clear with some variation of, "Mommy, she's immodest!" Of course Mommy is mortified. But I wonder sometimes if Mommy has remembered to teach that modesty is about not drawing undue attention to oneself, whether in the realm of sexuality or otherwise. Little Susie's got a mouth like a string bikini -- doesn't conceal anywhere near as much as it ought to.
Of course this is easy for me to say, since I don't have kids. And perhaps hypocritical of me to say, since I spend way too much time blabbing my opinions all over cyberspace!
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