Modesty- propriety (politeness) in dress, speech, or conduct

1 Corinthians 3:16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

1 Timothy 2:9-10 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 Peter 3:3-4 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 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Proverbs 11:22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.

Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God–this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

1 Corinthians 10:32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God–

James 3:2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

2 Peter 1:10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble.

1 John 2:10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.

Proverbs 7:10 (NLT)
The woman approached him, seductively dressed and sly of heart.

Hosea 2:2 (NLT)
“But now bring charges against Israel—your mother— for she is no longer my wife, and I am no longer her husband. Tell her to remove the prostitute’s makeup from her face and the clothing that exposes her breasts.

According to these scriptures, our bodies are holy and sanctified for the Lord. A Christian’s body has been bought with the blood of Christ, therefore it is not our own. We are to treat our bodies with the utmost respect. Dressing modestly is a courtesy to God’s temple. It allows us to present our internal beauty, rather than the external beauty. It allows us to be seen for who we are, rather than what we look like.

Dressing modestly can also be relevant for men, it doesn’t stop at just women. In fact there are certain chapters of the Bible that address how men and women should dress for church (or rather public prayer, in that culture; 1 Cor 11:3-16). So this leads me to believe that modesty isn’t just about clothing.

I’m a firm believer in wearing clothes that are comfortable, stylish, and flattering. That means that for every different person modesty has a different definition. To me it is uncomfortable to show a lot of skin or to have very tight clothing. But to some they are more comfortable with less clothing. Here’s my two cents; your clothing should be a direct reflection of your character. If you are choosing clothing that is unnecessarily revealing or tight then I beg the question of where your intentions and heart are?

By no means will I be the one to tell you what you can and cannot wear. But I can encourage you to pray about your clothing choices and seek God’s perspective. Because I don’t think it is my job to parent you. But if you are ever in a situation where someone has laid boundaries and a set of rules, the appropriate thing to do would be to abide by them no matter if you agree or not. Everyone needs a certain level of boundaries for themselves and when you push those boundaries, it is disrespectful to them to ignore them.

I’d also like to reflect on the definition for modesty listed above and the verse 1 Timothy 2:9-10. These talk about modesty being in terms of speech and conduct. That your deeds (actions) are what define modesty, not just what you wear. The verse talks about not wearing elaborate hairstyles and gold jewelry, but that was in reference to the specific culture they were living in. Back then jewelry and braided hair were the mark of prostitutes. And in Hosea makeup and revealing clothing were indicative of a prostitute. So when Paul wrote this letter to Timothy he was giving a boundary, a guideline for women to set themselves apart from the rest of the world.

If you were to stand a Christian and a non Christian side by side in a room and have them each present themselves and talk and act how they normally would. I sure would hope you could see a clear difference in their behavior, speech, conduct, and appearance. A Christian is to present themselves as a reflection of Christ, which is the direct opposite of how the world naturally operates. Modesty is a Character attribute not a Fashion aesthetic.

So my purpose here is to get your wheels turning and bring the thought to your consideration of how do you conduct yourself? In speech, life and even in how you dress. Are you doing everything to the glorification of God? Can someone look at you and know that you are a follower of Christ?

1 Corinthians 10:31 ‘So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. ‘