OK, I am going to sound like a ranting and raving, old fogy, but here goes. Modesty.No, it's not a city in California. It's not the fan club for the Mod Squad. It's not a rock group. What is modesty? By looking around these days it's apparent that fewer and fewer people really know what it is.
When today's fashion stores are selling what looks like low-cut, see-through lingerie and calling it a blouse; when an oversized headband is called a skirt and when the zipper on a pair of jeans is all of two inches long; we can safely say that modesty is not a subject that is discussed in fashion designer creative departments.
According to the dictionary, modesty simply means freedom from conceit or vanity; propriety in dress, speech or conduct. The idea is to have some humility, and discretion in how we dress, speak and conduct our lives.
It's a challenge when you're raising teenagers and just like you we've had many talks about the balance of being hip, stylish and fashionable without dressing like a dork or some sleaze bucket. We don't have it down perfectly and probably just like your home, there are some outfits that have walked out of our house that we didn't approve of. Although some parents would prefer their kids in turtlenecks, snowmobile suits, and stirrup pants 24/7, it's not realistic in this culture.
Listen, when women and men complain about the seductive, revealing, immodest way women sometimes dress - it's a problem. We've talked to men of all ages, and although you'd think that guys would enjoy all the skin showing these days, it is actually not welcomed by all men.
This is true especially when these types of gentlemen are doing their best to honor women at home and in the workplace, when they are trying to stay as far from the slippery slope of lust, pornography and adultery as possible. Girls walking around in what amounts to panties and bra are not helping.
Hey, ladies ... it's not just the teens. We've all seen some adult bodies walking around in crops tops and hip huggers revealing stuff that would have been better for everyone if it had remained hidden! I would like to suggest that we really give some thought to what we are wearing ... and why? Why do we want to wear the low cut shirt? The ultra-short skirt? The skin tight crop top? The barely-there bathing suit? Who are we trying to impress? Is there a modesty solution?
One of the fastest growing problems in the church and secular world these days is addiction to Internet pornography. We talk to devastated wives and girlfriends about this subject frequently. It's a massive problem. Marriages are devastated. Trust in relationships is severely damaged, sometimes beyond the point of repair. The immodest society we live in doesn't help. Is there any connection between the increased addiction to Internet porn, the publicity of sexual predators and the scantily clad culture? Anybody connecting the dots there?
So, dear chick friends ... perhaps it's time we and our daughters took inventory of our closets and determined which of our apparel is over-the-edge or borderline and which is still stylish, attractive and fashionable, yet modest. If you're not sure, here's a quick, "Is This Modest?" test. Just ask yourself, "How would I dress if I were meeting Jesus for lunch?"
Beth
