Wait, what's that again? This has never been a priority for me when I am truly honest. Yes, I say I don't feel comfortable in that skirt or that shirt shows a little too much I think...but those comments are always based on ME, not what I am doing for(or to) others.
My friend challenged me and all the other readers of her blog to dress more modestly. That includes not wearing that tank top that shows more skin that you ALREADY own. This made me take a look at my closet...this is going to be a challenge. And with not having a job and clothing being so expensive I think I might have to do some real downsizing.
You might be saying...I don't get it, WHY?! That tank top is so cute! Truthfully, SHOULD we be wearing those things? Think of the thoughts we are putting into a male's mind when we do. It does not exactly help the pressure that society already creates for a man and his sexual thoughts of women.
But, as my friend said, we can do our part. This will be a challenge as it has never been something that I have put foremost while shopping or choosing an outfit. I have always looked for an outfit that I think flatters me and the body I have, not putting others first. I NEED to start putting others first and not always think about myself. God did not create clothes for us to cut them shorter and shorter...God created clothing because MAN SINNED.
Will you also do your part??
.........................
Here is her post
With nice weather comes less clothes-that is people wearing less. Pants become short skirts. Sweatshirts become revealing tank tops. With melting ice comes barely bathing suits.
Have you ever thought about why we wear clothes?? In Genesis 2:25 (a book in the Old Testament of the Bible) it says, "And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed." The man and woman here are Adam and Eve.
In Genesis 3:6-7 says, "...she (Eve) took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband (Adam) who was with her and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths." (A loincloth is something that covered them up.)
From these verses we know a few things:
1. They were naked (this was before sin entered the world) and they weren't ashamed-Gen. 2:25.
2. After the fall of man (when sin entered the world), they knew they were naked. There was shame in nakedness, which is why they sewed fig leaves together-Gen. 3:6-7.
From these verses, we see that needing to wear clothes is a result of sin entering the world. Adam and Eve were naked and unashamed until they sinned.
It is really unfortunate that we take clothes, something that was intended to cover us up, and we make them a little shorter, the scoop a little lower, and we continue to pervert the use of what clothes we intended for.
No, I am not for ankle dresses with long sleeves. I personally really enjoy clothes and looking "cute". When I get up in the morning and get dressed, I need to be reminded that my sinful nature shifts towards wanting to wear something that is more revealing or tighter fitting. I need to be brought back to the cross in this process of getting dressed and not think so selfishly.
I truly do have a desire to dress modestly. I didn't always think like this, though. It was about three years ago when I started searching more into my heart about my motives to wear what I did. When I did this, I primarily saw that my desire to dress a certain way came out of wanting attention from the opposite sex. Instead of thinking FOR guys, I was thinking about ME.
I not only desire to honor RJ in what I wear, but I also desire to honor other guys-to help them not struggle with lust when they look at me. I don't want to hinder a guys' thoughts because of what I am wearing. I do not want to distract people with what I wear.
I am finding this to be a really hard thing as I go shopping. Everything is cut low on top and cut short on the bottom. Most of the shirts and shorts that I try on are really cute, but are really COMPROMISING. I have found myself getting annoyed because it is INCREDIBLY hard to find clothes that fit, but that think for others. THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF MODEST CLOTHES... what the heck has our fashion come to? It makes me so sad (and a tad frustrated because shopping isn't my favorite thing in the world to do anyways) that my search for spring clothes is so difficult.
What I have decided, though, is that no matter how many shirts and shorts I have to try on, I will continue to compromise my time to NOT compromise the thoughts of the guys' around me.
MY CHALLENGE FOR YOU: Do a heart check. Ask yourself "Why am I wearing this? Am I thinking for others with my outfit?"
MY SECOND CHALLENGE: Respond to your heart check if it's in light of TRUTH. Show the opposite sex you care about them by not buying that tank top and by not wearing the others that are in your closet or drawers ALREADY. YEP, I'M ASKING YOU NOT TO WEAR THAT FAVORITE SHIRT OF YOURS THAT COST $60 IN ORDER TO SHOW OTHERS YOU RESPECT THEM.
If you to decide to respond and not wear those clothes, before giving them away, think about this: Should you give them away so someone else can wear the clothes your conviction says no to or should you throw them away?
Through talking through some of these things with RJ, he brought up a great point: Dressing modestly does not eliminate the struggle issue for guys but that you are doing your part to help reduce the issue.
GIRLS-lets do our part!
Have you ever thought about why we wear clothes?? In Genesis 2:25 (a book in the Old Testament of the Bible) it says, "And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed." The man and woman here are Adam and Eve.
In Genesis 3:6-7 says, "...she (Eve) took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband (Adam) who was with her and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths." (A loincloth is something that covered them up.)
From these verses we know a few things:
1. They were naked (this was before sin entered the world) and they weren't ashamed-Gen. 2:25.
2. After the fall of man (when sin entered the world), they knew they were naked. There was shame in nakedness, which is why they sewed fig leaves together-Gen. 3:6-7.
From these verses, we see that needing to wear clothes is a result of sin entering the world. Adam and Eve were naked and unashamed until they sinned.
It is really unfortunate that we take clothes, something that was intended to cover us up, and we make them a little shorter, the scoop a little lower, and we continue to pervert the use of what clothes we intended for.
No, I am not for ankle dresses with long sleeves. I personally really enjoy clothes and looking "cute". When I get up in the morning and get dressed, I need to be reminded that my sinful nature shifts towards wanting to wear something that is more revealing or tighter fitting. I need to be brought back to the cross in this process of getting dressed and not think so selfishly.
I truly do have a desire to dress modestly. I didn't always think like this, though. It was about three years ago when I started searching more into my heart about my motives to wear what I did. When I did this, I primarily saw that my desire to dress a certain way came out of wanting attention from the opposite sex. Instead of thinking FOR guys, I was thinking about ME.
I not only desire to honor RJ in what I wear, but I also desire to honor other guys-to help them not struggle with lust when they look at me. I don't want to hinder a guys' thoughts because of what I am wearing. I do not want to distract people with what I wear.
I am finding this to be a really hard thing as I go shopping. Everything is cut low on top and cut short on the bottom. Most of the shirts and shorts that I try on are really cute, but are really COMPROMISING. I have found myself getting annoyed because it is INCREDIBLY hard to find clothes that fit, but that think for others. THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF MODEST CLOTHES... what the heck has our fashion come to? It makes me so sad (and a tad frustrated because shopping isn't my favorite thing in the world to do anyways) that my search for spring clothes is so difficult.
What I have decided, though, is that no matter how many shirts and shorts I have to try on, I will continue to compromise my time to NOT compromise the thoughts of the guys' around me.
MY CHALLENGE FOR YOU: Do a heart check. Ask yourself "Why am I wearing this? Am I thinking for others with my outfit?"
MY SECOND CHALLENGE: Respond to your heart check if it's in light of TRUTH. Show the opposite sex you care about them by not buying that tank top and by not wearing the others that are in your closet or drawers ALREADY. YEP, I'M ASKING YOU NOT TO WEAR THAT FAVORITE SHIRT OF YOURS THAT COST $60 IN ORDER TO SHOW OTHERS YOU RESPECT THEM.
If you to decide to respond and not wear those clothes, before giving them away, think about this: Should you give them away so someone else can wear the clothes your conviction says no to or should you throw them away?
Through talking through some of these things with RJ, he brought up a great point: Dressing modestly does not eliminate the struggle issue for guys but that you are doing your part to help reduce the issue.
GIRLS-lets do our part!
