Modesty

Modesty:

To get one thing clear, this is my personal beliefs on this subject and why I make the choices I do. 

This post is certainly not to downgrade anyone in any way. We all are able to set our own personal standards and this is simply stating my own. 

What caused me to write this post is a picture I've seen multiple times on my Instagram/twitter feed that has caused me to think about this a lot. 

I'm not putting the picture in my post because the font is too small to read. But the picture is of a printed out sign someone made that says: 

"When you interupt a girl's school day to force her to change clothes or to go home because her shorts are too short, or her bra straps are visible, you are telling her that hiding her body is more important than her education. You are telling her that making sure the boys have a distraction free learning environment is more important than her education. You are telling her that boys are more entitled to an education than she is."

I don't know about you, maybe you agree with that. But personally, I do not.

Romans 13:1 says: 

"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted,and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves." 

Even in the smallest things, when you are under someone else's rules, it is your responsibility to obey them. You wouldn't be getting sent home and missed out on your education if you had obeyed the rules in the first place. Your fault, not their's. When you run your own school you can make the dress code decisions. 

But on another note, this post is called "Modesty" not "Dress Code" I just wanted to add that in there. 

Like I said at the beginning, this is my personal beliefs and choices. 

I have plenty of friends that wear clothes that I personally wouldn't wear. I also have plenty of friends that wouldn't wear some things I wear. 

But in no way do I think any less of them. This is only the personal standards I have set for myself. 

A few things I've heard said by girls MANY times in conversations about modesty are phrases like "Why do guys have to be such animals?!" "Stupid guys, I want to wear short shorts!" (The list goes on) 

Even I have thought similar thoughts. When it's over 100 degrees outside here in Texas who doesn't want to dress lighter? 

But I believe that as a Christian young lady it's my responsibility to not be a distraction to my brothers in Christ and other guys as much as I can. 

Yes, some guy's give into their temptations more than others do. But blaming them for being the way they naturally are just doesn't seem fair. Especially in today's society when there are countless distractions. 

 If I'm expecting a guy to do his best not to lust then I'm certainly not going to dress in a way that makes it even harder for him. 

Aside from not wanting to be part of the cause of someone's sin, I also respect my body. My body will be for my husband one day and for him only. Not for any guy I pass in public to lust after. 

Yet another reason I also decide to dress modestly, regardless of the other two reasons I stated, is because as a Christian, I am called to be "set apart".

Which is a lot more than only dressing modestly. (Also my actions, friends, music, television choices, speech, etc) 

But I think that choosing to dress modestly is a very important way to be set apart. 

I want people to notice me. But I want them to notice me for being different. 

At public pools, when practically every other girl is wearing a skimpy bikini, I want people to notice I'm not. 

Because even decisions like that, cause people to wonder. I want them to wonder what my real source of my choice is. You never know when the smallest choice to be different, could lead someone to Him. It sounds unrealistic, but it's not. 

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; But a woman who fears The Lord is to be praised."

(Proverbs 31:30)

Believe me, I know how hard it is to find decent clothes in teenage stores.

Especially in our society. 

But it's not impossible. 

So even if I have to go to 20 stores just to find shorts that don't stop directly after my butt, I will. 

Because to me, pleasing my Lord is a lot more important than pleasing society.