3 | 21 | 2012 : 1 Timothy 2:9-10

And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.

Yep, it's that  message. The message most teenage girls groan at when the speaker brings it up. I used to hate hearing them talk about how I should dress when they don't even know me. I'm wearing what I like, so why does it matter? It's not that big of a deal. I'm not a whore and I don't dress like one, so it isn't a big deal what I wear, right?

Well, after I started really caring about my faith and diving into the Word, I realized how wrong and flawed my thinking was. The "dressing modestly because God told you to" message isn't stupid or unnecessary or trivial at all. It's a contributor to one of the most prominent and difficult sins - lust.

The dictionary definition for lust is "To have an intense or obsessive desire, especially one that is sexual." The Bible, however, sees it as not of God but of the world (1 John 2:16), and as a sin. And sometimes the act of lusting after someone can lead to other sins, like sexual immorality. So if the way that you dress causes people to lust/sin, that also means that you are sinning as well. We are not supposed to be stumbling blocks in the way of other Christians' walks with Christ (1 Cor. 10:32). I have talked to guys who struggle with lust and sexual immorality, and they said that even the slightest thing can set them off and cause them to stumble.

Not only is it an issue for other people, but can you imagine how you're making God look when you, as one of His children, dress immodestly for other people's attention? We're supposed to be glorifying Him in all we do. Jesus wasn't crucified so that His followers could sit here and continue sinning. You're sending a message out to people that you are a follower of Christ, yet you still wear revealing clothes and cause your brothers and sisters in Christ to stumble.

Trust me, it's hard to make conscious decisions not to dress immodestly, because I'm not a perfect Christian angel. I make mistakes as well. But God is forgiving as long as we repent and are really trying to be more like Christ.

Lord, I pray for everyone who struggles with dressing modestly, and that they learn to be attractive by their good works that they do for You. I pray for those who struggle with lust and sexual immorality, and that You give them the strength to keep their eyes on You in times of temptation. I pray for myself, so that I may take my own advice and think about what I'm wearing and whether or not it glorifies You. Thank you for all that You have done in my life.