{"id":37103,"date":"2022-11-10T14:24:19","date_gmt":"2022-11-10T19:24:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/?p=37103"},"modified":"2023-02-02T11:59:52","modified_gmt":"2023-02-02T16:59:52","slug":"modest-is-still-hottest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/liveoriginal.com\/modest-is-still-hottest\/","title":{"rendered":"Modest is Still Hottest"},"content":{"rendered":"

Christian modesty is a holistic, kingdom mindset and heart posture. It is not a look. It is not a capsule wardrobe full of turtlenecks and athletic maxi skirts. I have written about modesty before, and my friend captured my definition of Christian modestly beautifully. He said, \u201cModesty enables Christians to be the loudest about the things that have eternal value\u201d (Birley, 2021). My heart behind this message is not to meet you with shame, judgement, or condemnation but to share how walking a life with Jesus is full of His abundance and His confidence. His way is better [Isaiah 55:8-9].\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

God heavily placed it on my heart around two years ago to talk about modesty. I was hearing about how dark the gym felt on my college campus, and the Lord prompted me to go to the gym and pray while I worked out, rather than listen to music. The darkness was tangible. It is vital to our generation to recognize that the world and our God do not share the same definition of authenticity, love, and empowerment. The world will tell you it\u2019s empowering, authentic, and loving to yourself to flaunt yourself in inappropriate dress and to own your body. God literally says the opposite. Our body is not ours [Isaiah 64:8] and what is truly empowering, authentic, and loving to yourself is to remain in Jesus, because Jesus promises He will remain in us in return. The world is self focused. God has taught me self focus fertilizes fear. God is kingdom focused. God is God focused.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Christian modesty is a holistic, kingdom mindset and heart posture; so it\u2019s an outward appearance that should reflect Christ. This won\u2019t happen until there is an inward shift in our minds and hearts. So how will that inward shift occur because 1 Samuel 16:7 says the LORD looks at the heart. Romans 8:5-8 says, \u201cThose who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God\u2019s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is by the Spirit of God, not by will power, that your heart will change. You will not begin to care about the things of God [His delight is found in our obedience and an awe inspired worship \u2013 Psalm 147:10-11] until you\u2019re in the Word of God.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I recently heard a quote by the man who is responsible for putting bibles in hotel rooms \u2013 how sick is that! He said, \u201cThe Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler\u2019s map, the pilgrim\u2019s staff, the pilot\u2019s compass, the soldier\u2019s sword and the Christian\u2019s charter. Here too, Heaven is opened and the gates of Hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently and prayerfully.\u00a0 <\/span>It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, rewards the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents\u201d (The Gideons International, 2011).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s define immodesty with an Elisabeth Elliot quote because who else would I quote: \u201cModesty means to be free from undue familiarity, from indecency, from lewdness, pure in thought and conduct. Speaking of modest apparel, it means decent, seemly. The opposite of modesty is conceit, boldness, immodesty, brazenness, lewdness\u201d (Elliot, 1984). Okay now let\u2019s define lewdness and brazenness because I sure didn\u2019t know what those meant. Lewdness means involving sexual conduct that is considered indecent or offensive and brazenness is a behavior in which someone does something in an obvious way, without trying to hide it. Y\u2019all, it takes humility to dress modestly!<\/p>\n\n\t\t