Modesty - a post that's been simmering {part 1}

I gotta say, this picture is adorable!

Dressing modestly.  
Yes, I am aware that it can be a very touchy subject with some. However, it can also can be taken to an extreme - examples being, "your ankles cannot be showing" or "being modest means being free of covering up", or "just be YOU in whatever you want, God doesn't care about what you wear".  Can you really believe any of that?  I can't.  To say that in order for me to be "free" I must be be rebellious is just plain ridiculous. 



I would like to ask you two questions: What does it even mean, to dress modestly?  More importantly though, what does God's Word say about the subject?
I encourage you to really search out these questions; pray over them, and dig into His Word.

Romans 12:2 says,
"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."  Humm...

I've always known that I wanted to be different - not weird (though I do think that I'm a little strange *winks*) - just different in that I didn't want to do what everyone else was doing, to swim with the current, that wasn't me.  It's hard not to want to swim with the current; to go where everyone is going.  But God made me different - just like He made YOU different, and He gives us the strength to walk the other path or to swim in the other, less swam current. There is strength is submission and yielding to His will.  Most women of today won't tell you that - in fact, they'll probably tell you the opposite. 

There seems to be a lot of pressure out there to look a certain way and when we don't look or feel that way, then we become unhappy with God's masterful creation - the human body.  Let's face it ladies, we've been made with hips and thighs, but they are beautiful!  If God wanted us each to look the same don't you think that He would have made us all to resemble one another?  He's smart and He knows what He's doing.

"And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him...And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.  And Adam said, This is now bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." Genesis 2:18,21-23

Sadly, I think most people have this false perception that when it comes to being modest we (ladies) have to look frumpy.  'Tis not the truth.  You can be modest and still look lovely.

See how lovely AND modest these two outfits are?

There is SO much joy in dressing modestly!  There is SO much joy in knowing that you are pleasing and honoring the One who created you in His image. 

I fear the world has lost it's innocence - purity IS beautiful!  Anything sensual is "in" and anything innocent is thrown out the window.  Why is this so?  
I read somewhere that the more you pry and force a rose to open, the more you lose its mystery and innocence.  

I encourage you to read the following scripture.
"I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.
I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck.  And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.  Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.  And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD." Ezekiel 16:10-14 


I get chills reading this.  This is God describing His love for Jerusalem; it's absolutely beautiful.

I was reading something not that long ago, on a modesty blog and the woman who wrote the article shared the scripture above as well as this following statement: "If there were any shame in wearing jewelry or beautiful clothes, God would not have adorned His bride this way."  Something to think about and remember...

We don't have to wear a trash-bag, BUT we don't want to look like what's inside a trash-bag either.  What does trash attract when it's left out for a while?  Flies.  Nasty little flies that are only looking for "one thing".  Not all women dress this way, no not all - thankfully.  However, for those who do dress modestly and do not know the Lord, my heart breaks for them; it breaks for them because they do not know know Who died for their sins, and they do not know what an honor it is to honor Him in how we dress!

I think that there is a hidden balance that most of us can't seem to find (I myself struggle with finding the balance), and this balance has God in the center.  
If modesty is something that you personally are struggling with, then I pray that you take this to the Most High and surrender it to His will.  I pray that you find peace in knowing that He has a will for your life. 

We are all trying to Find that Balance - hey, that gives me an idea: a new name for my blog - Finding the Balance.  What do you think?

Stay tuned for part 2.

Blessings,
Sarah


*All these images came from Google and Pinterest*