The other day, I went through the drive-thru at the bank. The teller had on a polo similar to a golfshirt. It was very very skin tight leaving nothing to the imagination. No, it was not low cut and it wasn't a belly top. Polo shirts are nothing sexy. This was not a revealing look but it definitely was not modest - nor flattering.
I see it all the time. People don't want to believe they are the size they really are, I guess. Skin tight clothing reveals your imperfections. Who wants that?
More important than dressing modest is being modest. Everyone is so hung up on what the outside looks like, but the outside is ruled by the heart.
What does it really mean to be modest? Dictionary.com defines modest as, "having or showing a moderate or humble estimate of one's merits, importance, etc.; free from vanity, egotism, boastfulness, or great pretensions."
In other words, a modest person is a humble person.
"Humble yourself in the Lord’s presence, and he will honor you."
James 4:10 New Century Version (NCV)
What a contrast to life in American culture! We think of ourselves as "putting number one first." We want to "be all we can be." Filled with pride, we want recognition and honor and we don't mind promoting ourselves to get it.
Instead, "don’t think that you are better than you really are. You must see yourself just as you are." (Romans 12:3 Easy to Read Version) When you see yourself clearly, it is hard to be egotistic and brag about yourself.
The first step to improvement is to see the truth. No one is perfect. We all have issues. We all need help. Admit it, then step back and see what God can do with a humble heart.
This post was inspired by the Writer's Workshop prompt 1.) A blog post inspired by the word: modest. I thought about how modest was most often discussed in conjunction with the way one dresses. I wanted to explore another meaning of the word.
Q4U: What does modest mean to you? Leave a comment or link up at Kat's blog, Mama's Losin' It.
Interesting. I usually associate modesty with outward appearance and the way people dress, but I like that the definition speaks more to the way you act and the type of person you are. I think it is important to try to be humble, modest, and kind.
ReplyDeleteWhen I work in the clothing room at Manna House, I'm often surprised by the size of shirts/pants people ask for because sometimes they do not match what appears to be their real size, if you know what I mean. ha. I guess lots of us have trouble believing the size we really are.
ReplyDeleteHumility is a huge, huge area that God keeps bringing back to me that I need to work more on. I can be so broken when I see how ugly my pride is, and then the very next day let it sneak back in the back door. Thanks for the reminder that modesty means more than wearing the right size clothes!
Loved your post. Very well said. Modesty is a virtue that is slowly slipping away. Wouldn't it be nice if we could introduce some of these virtues back in society and people would actually be open to practicing them again!
ReplyDeleteTo me, modesty is wisdom on display. A modest person has a "right view" of themselves and is respectful of others.
ReplyDeletewhat a great post, you understand modesty perfectly. Stopping by from mama kats kelley at the road goes ever ever on
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