I don’t like most modesty talk for a simple reason: I think it puts the emphasis in exactly the wrong place. It tells women that they should dress for men. Now, admittedly, I’m not too fond of this world’s way of dressing its daughters like whores, either. That too, tells women to dress for men (for their most base side).
I, on the other hand, would like to propose a new focus. Instead of dressing for men, why don’t we start dressing for God?
Here’s how I see it. Scripture says that we–you and I–are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.”
I Corinthians 3:16-17
Specifically, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
I Corinthians 6:19-20
What is the purpose of a temple?
A temple is a dwelling place for a god. A temple is a monument to a god’s greatness. A temple is a place to worship a god.
And if our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, then our bodies are His dwelling place, our bodies are a monument to His greatness, our bodies are a place to worship Him.
Haggai tells of God’s purpose and desire for His temple:
“Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the LORD.”
Haggai 1:8
In the book of Haggai, God desired to take pleasure in His temple and to be glorified in it. I believe His desire is still the same today. And if your body is His temple, then His desire is to take pleasure in your body and to be glorified in your body.
This brings the whole concept of modesty into perspective. Our goal in dressing should be to bring God pleasure and to glorify Him. Nothing greater and nothing less.
So what brings God pleasure and what glorifies Him?
If we take a look at the tabernacle of Moses, built according to the specific instructions of God given on Mount Sinai, we can get a glimpse at the kind of adornment God enjoys. God was pretty picky about how the tabernacle was to be designed:
“And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.”
Exodus 25:8-9
The tabernacle was made with only the best materials: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet cloth. It was decorated with finely worked metalcraft–with flowers and cherubim. The cloth was artistically woven, specially dyed, and elaborately embroidered. The tabernacle was seriously ornamented.
I am convinced that beauty brings God pleasure. Why else would God have so carefully specified that the linen was to be finely woven, the area artistically embroidered?
Despite the bag-wearing tendencies of my early teen years, I do not believe that God intends or desires that we be frumps.
The Proverbs 31 woman, universally held up as an example for Christian women, was far from frumpy. Instead, she was dressed in the best–fine linen and purple.
“She is not afraid of snow for her household,
For all her household is clothed with scarlet.
She makes tapestry for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple. ”
Proverbs 31:21-22
God takes pleasure in beauty. I believe that He is glorified in beauty. It’s okay–it’s GOOD–that you be beautiful and dress beautifully.
A temple is a dwelling place for a god. A temple is a monument to a god’s greatness. A temple is a place to worship a god. But what happens if the temple is so packed full of stuff that the god can’t dwell there? What happens if the temple begins to proclaim its own greatness instead of the greatness of its god? What happens if the temple cries out for worship instead of offering worship to its god?
That is not good.
If our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, then our bodies are His dwelling place, our bodies are a monument to His greatness, our bodies are a place to worship Him. But what if we took our focus off of the God whose temple we are and placed it on ourselves? What if others looking at our bodies were encouraged to worship US rather than Him?
That would not be good. That would not glorify God or give Him pleasure.
And I believe that is exactly why God commands modest apparel for women.
“In like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.”
I Timothy 2:9-10
According to Merriam-Webster, modest means placing a moderate estimate on one’s abilities or worth; observing the proprieties of dress and behavior, unpretentious. Basically put, modest dress means dress that doesn’t glorify itself.
Our goal in our dressing should be GOD’S glory, not our own. Which means that our clothing should not distract from revealing God’s glory–especially God’s glory as revealed in our character.
I Timothy speaks of women adorning themselves with good works. I Peter speaks of adorning ourselves with a gentle and quiet spirit and with submission.
“Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.”
I Peter 3:3-6
This gentle and quiet spirit is precious, valuable to God–it’s something He takes pleasure in. I Peter 5:5 encourages all younger people (male and female alike) to “be clothed” with humility.
“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for
“ God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.””
I Peter 5:5
And that Proverbs 31 woman? Fine linen and purple wasn’t all she wore. She was also adorned with strength and honor.
“Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come. ”
Proverbs 31:25
So my questions to you, ladies, is: Who are you dressing for? Why do you wear what you do? Does your clothing glorify God by being beautiful? Does your clothing glorify God by allowing Him to be seen?
Or does your clothing obscure Him by glorifying you? Does your clothing fail to reflect Him by being frumpy, poorly cared for, and unattractive? Does your focus on clothing and fashion keep you from cultivating the apparel that God says He takes great delight in–good works, gentleness, quietness, humility, submission?
My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit–and I want to ornament it in such a way that He takes pleasure in me and is glorified. I pray that will become your goal too.