“Biblical womanhood simply defined is God’s perfect design for women as revealed in the Bible. Much more than a writing script, it’s a way of life. More than something we read or write, it’s something we speak and do.” ~Girltalk, Carolyn Mahaney and Nicole Whitacre
Our understanding of Biblical womanhood affects every aspect of our lives. It informs all of our relationships. It influences the way we spend our time. It is the lens through which we interpret life. Our careful attention to this subject will allow the splendor of the Gospel to be shown in our lives as women.
One facet of Biblical womanhood, of which we all need to be reminded, is that of modesty. We may be tempted to compartmentalize Biblical femininity. It’s implication for being a wife or mother may seem more obvious than it’s relevance to dress. We may inadvertently look to the world as our standard assuming God’s word is silent on the topic, or even irrelevant.
1Timothy 2:9,10 tells us that “women should adorn themselves with respectable attire, with modesty and self control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire. but with what that which is proper for women who profess godliness- good works”.
Each time we are looking for a new article of clothing, the battle for modesty ensues. We are making modesty decisions, knowingly or unknowingly. We can’t wait till we are looking into the dressing room mirror, in the “oh so cute dress” to make these decisions. Our conviction to adorn ourselves with respectable clothes, modesty and self control has to come before our sense of style and before we step into the dressing room.
We don’t pursue modesty for modesty’s sake; but for the sake of the gospel. Let us be women whose lives and dress adorn the gospel, making it desirable and attractive to the world around us, beautifully displaying Biblical womanhood, drawing sinners to our Savior.
Check out the Girltalk blog for truly outstanding teaching on modesty. www.girltalk.blogs.com
Here is a checklist to help us evaluate our hearts and our dress as it pertains to modesty. http://girltalk.blogs.com/girltalk/files/modesty_heart_check3.pdf
July 3, 2009 at 9:52 am
Great post, Grace. If anyone tries the GirlTalk link, you’ll have to add a “L.” The link is missing one.
July 3, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Thank you for this gentle reminder! It is often difficult to keep a godly mindset when surrounded by UNgodly examples. I am grateful for all the excellent examples of modest beauty in our church.
July 3, 2009 at 10:31 pm
I appreciate the way you have served me with this reminder. Again, it isn’t easy to try and keep the standard of dress one that is in line with a biblical standard. Keeping in mind that serving our self when dressing isn’t the main goal, it is to try and keep others, (the opposite sex), from stumbling. Ultimately, dressing to keep the Savior honored would be of highest importance! May I continue to check myself, as it is easy to lose sight of this with all the worldly fashion that permeates our very being on a daily basis!
July 3, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Thank you for me with this reminder. Dressing with a biblical standard in mind can become something we don’t give much thought to. Serving ourself when picking our clothes shouldn’t be the goal here. It should be to keep others, (the opposite sex), from stumbling! Ultimately, dressing to give honor to our Savior should always be given top priority! It is sooo easy to lose sight of this, when fashion permeates our being on a daily basis!
July 5, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Even though I no longer attend “church”, I agree with Grace’s post. When I was growing up, all of my peers were dressing quite scandalously. There was a lot of pressure to conform to the “norm”, but I never felt comfortable dressing like that. I guess everyone thought I was weird, but to this day I firmly believe that somewhere along the line, society misconstrued the idea of what is considered attractive. There is absolutely no need to wear extremely short skirts or low cut tops, and if anything it turns most away. “Fashion” is just a means of drawing customers in, and some find it hard to fight off the latest trends. I think whatever your most comfortable in, should be what you wear…don’t worry too much about what’s on the front cover of Vogue. Modesty goes a long way, it gains respect. Never forget that.
Cheers,
D