About Modesty - About the Heart

Beloved brothers and sisters,

It is incredibly interesting to look around and see the wide chasm of difference that exists between one Christian's idea of "modesty" and another Christian's.

Hey, I understand... modesty is tough, because the Bible doesn't say exactly how long sleeves or shorts should be, how many pieces a bathing suit should have, or how tight is too tight.

Either someone has it right and everyone else is wrong... or they are all right.... right? Or maybe modesty goes deeper than what we wear or what we do with our eyes... maybe, like everything else, it's always really been ABOUT THE HEART.

Certainly there ARE lots of good principles found in the pages of Scripture that help us in establishing those specific convictions, but right now, I want to think about the heart. I believe that if we can attain the HEART for modesty, then working out those details will be much easier and more joyful.

Look, if we are more worried about wearing or not wearing the right thing than we are about LOVING CHRIST, LOVING HIS CHURCH and BEING LIKE CHRIST, then we are doing it wrong. Now, I'm not saying "anything goes", but just think about how the Christian who seeks to have the HEART OF CHRIST would act and think AS A RESULT in the area of modesty!

Here are 4 attitudes with which a Christian with the HEART OF CHRIST thinks about the issue of modesty:

• Sinless: "How can I best keep myself from sinning with lust or pride?" (Modesty goes beyond the sensual aspect of dress and action)

• Selfless: "How can I best help my brothers and sisters in their walk with Christ and their battle with sin, even if it means sacrifice for me? (By the way, modesty is not just for the ladies.)

• Gracious: "How can I be loving, long suffering, humble, and helpful toward my brothers and sisters who have different convictions than me on modesty?

• Glorifying: "How can I point attention to the glory of CHRIST who is Preeminent, rather than to myself with the way I dress and act? How can I decrease so that Christ may increase?" (I think this is where we ALL struggle the MOST.)

I see many of you, my brothers and sisters, all striving to honor God with modesty and it really encourages me and challenges me to press on in this area as well! I hope this helps us as we pursue together our high calling of HOLINESS.

So my beloved brothers and sisters, I COMMEND YOU, I ENCOURAGE YOU, and I CHALLENGE YOU: 

Remember, IT'S ABOUT THE HEART - THE HEART OF CHRIST.

Grace in Christ,
- Cody