Modest is Hottest

I went camping for the first time recently. I had the best time! I was able to go with a huge group of people, and I couldn’t have asked for a better first experience camping. We stayed up late playing games, making s’mores, walking to the river, and discussing what God had been teaching us. I slept up on this platform, in the middle of a field, with only a blanket and a pillow. My friend and I stayed up for a bit discussing God’s creation, and I even saw my first shooting star! God just blew me away on my trip to the woods. I understand why people enjoy camping so much! It makes you feel so alive and so in touch with the Creator. I’m a big fan.

Before we left to go camping, we received a list of things that we should remember to pack; just the basics, like bug spray, a sleeping bag, a Bible, etc. At the end of the message, they informed us that there was a pool at the campground, but there were some swim suit requirements. Boys- no speedos; girls- no two-pieces… and if you only had a two-piece, you were asked to wear a dark t-shirt over it.
I am SO glad that they told us that! I must confess, a few years ago, that would have made me so angry! I used to hate that girls always seem to have such strict wardrobe requirements, while boys can typically wear whatever they want to. But God has really given me a new attitude over the past few years. He has started to show me that dressing modestly is an amazing way to serve my brothers in Christ. It is no secret that lust is a very common struggle among the men of the church. But a lot of times we don’t really take an open, honest approach to it.
I was talking to one of my guy friends in Chicago a couple of years ago about the issue of modesty and lust. He mentioned that he really disliked how the church seemed to push the burden of the “lust issue” on to the women; they really stressed that women dress modestly, and we discussed how men can sometimes use that to avoid having to deal with their own sin issues. But at the same time, as a girl, it is such an amazing blessing to be able to help out my brothers in Christ by wearing modest clothing! I completely understand that men are responsible for their own sin issues… but as their sister in Christ, I am also responsible for not putting a stumbling block in their path. I am called to love them well, to love and serve them as Christ would; I think that includes caring about any sin they may be struggling with, and doing whatever I can to help point them back to the Savior. One way that I can do that is by dressing modestly.
Of course, some guys are still going to struggle with lust. Dressing modestly doesn’t fix the problem. Sometimes it doesn’t matter what a girl is wearing, a guy is just going to lust- even if she were dressed in a giant paper bag! But that doesn’t mean we can’t try to help a brother out. I respect my guy friends too much to put a stumbling block in their path by dressing immodestly. Even if that means that sometimes I have the inconvenience of wearing a dark t-shirt over a cute bathing suit. When I take a more eternal perspective, it’s pretty clear that helping my friends keep their thoughts pure is SO much more important than looking “cute” that day. We can still look cute and dress modestly! Sometimes it might make shopping a little bit more difficult, but it is truly an amazing way to serve the body of Christ. We are called to honor God with our bodies and to build up and encourage fellow believers. This can be as simple as what outfits we choose to wear! This doesn’t mean we have to go around dressing in long pants and turtlenecks year round…it just means that we need to be mindful of what we wear. We also need to be mindful of our intentions behind the outfit we put on each day; do I want to wear these shorts because they make my butt/legs look good, or do I want to wear them because they are comfortable and its hot outside? Am I wearing them more for my glory, or for Gods?