31 Days of Femininity: Putting Modesty In It's Place

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"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 

And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your min, that ye may prove what that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God is.

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he out to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath death to every man the measure of faith."

 Romans 12:1-3

These scriptures convicted me as I read through them yesterday. It's fun to read all the tips on dressing modestly yet fashionably, to find tutorials on how to make all these cute accessories to go along with your outfit, etc. But if our hearts become so focused on the outward appearance that we forget what is truly important, we have failed in our attempts at modesty. 

Here are a few questions to ask ourselves to see how we measure up.

1. Do my thoughts dwell on the Lord as much as they dwell on how I look and what I should wear?

2. Do I constantly glance at myself in the mirror, making sure I look ok throughout the day? What I am asking is, am I preoccupied with my outward appearance?

3. Am I overly concerned wondering what people will think ("Is this too drab?" "Is this outfit too stylish?" "Oh dear, will they not like these boots?" etc...)

4. Do we meditate on the Lord? Are our hearts focused on truly pleasing Him, or do we merely dress this way out of outward obedience to what we think is right?

While I am not a huge fan of calico dresses anymore, in light of eternity, it honestly doesn't matter if you are wearing a calico dress, or the cutest, stylish, modest outfit you can find. When you meet your maker one day I doubt the first thing the Lord will say to you is "You have dressed well daughter. Enter ye into my rest."

There is balance in everything. My husband is always quick to remind me of this. We once swung out of balance when it came to dressing modestly out of a desire to please the Lord. We since have been convicted that we emphasized this area of our devotion to God too heavily. That being said, we must be careful and watchful not to swing too far the other direction now. 

Clothes are fun. 

Earrings are cute and I adore them.

Shoes can be a nice finishing touch to an outfit.

A skirt that fits nicely can make all the difference in how you look - frumpy or cute. 

Yet, as with every thing else, we must beware not to allow these considerations to consume us. They have their place and they ought to be contained there, never to overshadow the other areas of our witness before God, but to compliment them. They are not, however, what truly matters and if we spend our lives desiring these things, pouring our hearts and minds into how to obtain them, woe be unto us. 

"Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth." 

Colossians 3:2

Have a blessed Sabbath Day!