"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the
hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it
be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even
the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God
of great price." 1 Peter 3:3-4
What exactly is modesty?
True modesty begins with the attitude of the heart. Our hearts must first be clothed with the beauty of selflessness,
humility, and discretion, and then it expresses itself naturally in
outward adornment. Therefore, as some have put it: "outward adornment is a reflection of inner spirituality."
Because we choose to glorify Jesus through every single aspect of our
lives, we glorify Him even also in the area of our appearance, having
"an eye single to the glory of God." Therefore, we may ask ourselves:
What is my purpose with the way I am adorning myself?
Is it to focus undue attention to me, rather than the beauty of Jesus? (Paul, in the
verse above, interestingly points out three ways we can make idols of:
our hair, jewelry/accessories, and clothing.)
Is it to lead others to temptation?
What is the overall impression I exude? A reflection of worldliness or a reflection of godliness?
What
is the main effect I have on others? Am I loudly proclaiming "me,
myself, and my charms"? Or lovingly, quietly leading others to God?
If
"yes" to any of those questions, we can ask ourselves: is my first love
Jesus? Have I found the wonderful, satisfying love of God? Or am I
trying to fill it with something empty and meaningless, and which does
not last?
Modesty does not mean trying to be ugly. Rather, our attire
should be becoming, neat, and moderate. "Christ
has warned us against the pride of life, but not against its grace and natural beauty. He pointed to the flowers of the field, to the lily unfolding in its purity, and said, 'Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.' Matthew 6:29. Thus by the things of nature, Christ illustrates the beauty that heaven values, the modest grace, the simplicity, the purity, the appropriateness, that would make our attire pleasing to Him. The most beautiful dress He bids us wear upon the soul. No outward adorning can compare in value or loveliness with that 'meek and quiet spirit' which in His sight is 'of great price.' " {CT 303.3}
However, it is important to point out that both the heart and the attire must be clothed with modesty.
One without the other is incomplete. For example, if I am covered from
head to toe with modest clothing, but the way I carry myself has a
appearance of evil, or lacks discretion, I am immodest. (Our eyes and
body language can say a lot about our hearts.) Also, if I'm dressed
modestly but my heart is overflowing with Pharisaical pride of how
better dressed I am than those other people, I am immodest! (Remember
that the verse says that real modesty is from a meek and quiet spirit.)
Also, if my spirit is criticizing or condemning toward others who are
immodest, I am also lacking in true beauty. Our aim is that the inside and the outside shines brightly as a refreshing light to others.
Another
point to consider is that, generally speaking, a person growing up in
our modern culture is going to be largely unaware of these principles.
Not meaning any harm, new believers (and even old believers) may dress
in excessive, flashy, see-through, short, tight, low-cut, etc. As
professing Christians, may we truly love them and show warm
understanding, and know that these souls are precious in His sight,
and Jesus died for them and longs for them to spend eternity with Him.
We do not see each other as we are now, with our faults and
imperfections, but as what we shall be when we are transformed by His
grace. For us, it is difficult to see (by faith) the soul thirsting
for truth inside, and look beyond the sometimes discouraging outside.
But since God works inside out, the heart may have been converted, but
some time may pass for the outer adornment to catch up to rightly to
reflect the heart.
Whether we eat, or drink, or
whatever we do, let's do them all for the glory of God! Then, even the
smallest aspect of our lives may turn hearts toward Jesus. :)
