It was a lovely evening. Gloria just had her bath and was getting ready to go with Charles; her fiance to his dinner party organised by Alibert Limited; Charles’ company, to celebrate his promotion. Charles was just promoted to the post of General Manager. She was very excited and at the same confused. Excited that she was going to spend time with Charles and confused because she did not know what to wear. While searching her closet, her friend; Gladys, walked in.
Gladys: What’s going on here? Why is the room scattered?
Gloria: (heaving a sigh of relief) Thank God you are here. I’ve been looking for what to wear to the dinner I spoke to you about.
Gladys: oh, is it today?
Gloria: Yes it is. I’m confused. I am torn in between this red and black gown.
Gladys: They are both nice. Try them on.
Gloria: Okay.
(Gloria puts on the black gown)
Gladys: I really like this. It’s so nice. Simple, yet speaks class. Perfect
Gloria: Let me try the red one. I think I like that one better.
Gladys: okay.
(Gloria puts on the red gown. As soon as Gladys saw it, she was displeased)
Gloria: Here we go. Why is your face like that? Isn’t it nice?
Gladys: It’s not.
Gloria: I like it o. What is wrong with it?
Gladys: your boobs are out. Can’t you see?
Gloria: So? It doesn’t matter. It’s good to be sexy at times. I feel great wearing this.
Gladys: Remember you are a Christian and a chorister in church. What message are you trying to pass to others?
Gloria: Well, it’s not like church people are going to be there. This is a sophisticated dinner party. I have to look the part.
Gladys: You don’t have to live your life like that. What you are doing is simply hypocrisy and eye service. You are wearing what you know you can’t wear to church.
Gloria: I don’t think your opinion is needed again. I’m wearing this and there is nothing you can do about it.
Gladys: Gloria, I don’t think Charles is going to like it either. You know him. By the way, when did you start wearing clothes like this? I’ve known you for years, you don’t wear clothes that are this tight and revealing. When you get comments like “sexy” and men start to make derogatory comments at you while you are at the party, just know you have crossed the borderline.
Gloria: I just need to look the part. You need to mind your business at this point.
Gladys: Okay o.
(Twenty minutes later, Charles arrived at her house, waiting outside in the car. Gloria picked up her purse and left the house without saying a word to Gladys)
Gladys: It is well o. What has happened to Gloria?
(Gloria entered the car)
Charles: Wow, you smell good. I need to put on the light so I can see you clearly.
Gloria: Thanks babe.
(Puts on the light)
Charles: What are you wearing?
Gloria: You don’t like it?
Charles: Yes, I don’t. It’s revealing. Remember 1 Corinthians 6:19 which says “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”. Your body is God’s temple. You can look good even while covered.
Gloria: You mean you don’t like the fact that I look sexy? I thought men like it.
Charles: I’m not all men. I’m a believer of Christ and His word. “Sexy” is not a word that I want to be used on my wife to be. As a believer, you shouldn’t be sexually stimulating to men out there. You should be modest. It was stated in 1st Timothy 2:9. Please, can you go back in and change? Please.
Gloria: Okay, I will. Thank you for the correction. You are a great man. To think I was proving stubborn with Gladys. She didn’t like the dress too. I will be back. Give me 10 minutes.
Charles: I will be waiting.
(Gloria goes into the house, Gladys starts laughing)..
Gloria: what’s so funny?
Gladys: it’s funny now. All these could have been avoided. Now, you have succeeded in wasting his time. I told you he would not like the dress.
Gloria: Well, you didn’t explain it well to me. He quoted scriptures.
Gladys: Is it until I quote scriptures? Don’t you know the word? When I was telling you, it was as if I had mouth odour.
Gloria: It is okay o. I’ve changed to the black. I hope you are happy.
Gladys: Me? You should ask yourself how you feel wearing this. How do you feel?
Gloria: Well, it’s not bad. I feel comfortable unlike the other gown. I had to be using my hand to pull the gown every 5 minutes. I think I understand now. I never thought of the word “sexy” the way Charles described it. Well, thank you for being a good friend and I’m glad I’m with a great man. Both of you are treasures.
Gladys: You are welcome. Have fun.
(Gloria joins Charles in the car)
Charles; Now, this is what I’m talking about. You look amazing.
Gloria: Thank you.
(They drove off)
Modesty in Christianity is fast fading out. It is sad that people cannot differentiate a believer from a non-believer. When believers get compliments from others that they are “sexy”, they smile, not knowing what “sexy” mean. “Sexy” is not a bad word. It is a compliment only if it is said by a husband to his wife or by a wife to her husband and even at this, a married woman has the freedom to wear anything and nothing in the privacy of her bedroom, but when she walks out of the house, she needs to be considerate of modesty. Just because her husband can look at her body, that doesn’t mean other men should.”
According to the Marriam Webster Dictionary, the word “sexy” means sexually stimulating or suggestive. When a person tells you you are “sexy”. It implies that they are sexually stimulated or lusting after you. “Sexy” is not our standard in Christ’s Kingdom, modesty is. Now people prefer being called “sexy” and “hot”. There is certainly nothing inherently wrong with wanting to look pretty but there is everything wrong with your look being sexually stimulating to people who we shouldn’t cause to sin by making them lust over us. As people of faith, it is important that we challenge ourselves everyday to be more Christ like in our thoughts, words and appearance. When it comes to our dressing, there are boundaries we are not meant to cross, and this includes wearing revealing clothes to look sexy and turning all attention to ourselves. This is not anyway limited to the women alone. The men can also be immodest in their dressing; dressing sexily, and provocatively.
Dressing immodestly is a broadcast to the world that we think the most interesting thing about us is our body. That’s dehumanizing ourselves. It is unpleasing to God to make people imply by virtue of our dressing, that we prefer to be considered not as someone of any spiritual or intellectual substance.
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
When we dress and another is sexually stimulated by it, it is causing another to sin. Men wear trousers and place it below their butt, open up their chest, etc. Women on the other hand wear tight revealing clothes. Men blame the women for their difficulties in the area of purity, thanks to revealing clothes. On the other hand, women blame men for being perverts who can’t stop lusting after them. As believers, either woman or man, we have a role not to cause another to sin by what we wear, say or do and also not to lust after another whether they are modestly clothed or not.
Just like Gloria in the story, women are quick to say, “What’s the big deal? God gave us these human bodies and we shouldn’t feel like we have to hide them. If someone gets turned on by me just being myself then it’s their problem.They are the ones with inappropriate thoughts.”
On the contrary, this thought is not godly. As long as we are Christians, we are no longer our own. We have the freedom and responsibility to live a life which reflects whom we have chosen to represent; Christ.
2nd Corinthians 5:15
He died for all that we in turn might no longer live for ourselves but for him.
Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better for him if, with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea. Mark 9:42.
Paul also spoke to the women about Modesty in 1st Timothy 2:9.
In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array.
He further spoke to the men,
But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. Matthew 5:28-29.
Therefore, when we wear clothes that depict sexiness (except couples in the confines of the home), we are saying many things without us even realizing it. We are saying that we want attention, that we don’t respect our body, that if we are showing it off to the world, then maybe a lot of people have already seen it, that we may be willing to do “things”. As hard as it is to read or hear it is the truth. Men should be like Charles in the story. They should see, think of, and treat women the way Christ did; with respect and encourage them to trust God for their beauty by not lusting after them nor tolerating revealing clothes. Let them see that God-fearing men value modesty in a world full of sensuality. Ladies, help the men by wearing beauty of character instead of clothing that will tempt them to think wrong of you. When you put on an outfit, stand for one minute in front of the mirror. Close your eyes and see yourself standing before Jesus. If are standing with the same clothes you are now wearing, how do you feel? Are you embarrassed? If you have complete peace, then wear it.
Modesty is not limited to our dressing. It is wrapped up in how we want to communicate ourselves to the outside world. You can be a Christian who has never put a foot wrong in terms of how you dress: skirts always below the knees and shirts buttoned to the collar. But if, in your workplace, you’re the one that people know to go to for the latest gossip, well, there is a problem. The outside looks holy, but the hidden person of the heart is bad. And it isn’t just women who need to check themselves; modesty is a message for men, too. Men like to boast about what they have, just as much as women do. For us, it may be clothes; for men, it’s cars, their jobs and technology. So, both genders need to embrace the totality of what modesty means, not just the way we dress, but also our behaviour.
Ist Peter 3:3
Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
In conclusion, dress stylish; wearing clothing that exemplifies that idea of respect and value, wearing items that don’t cause others to sin, or overtly sin. Be beautiful, be handsome, look fabulous and act right. Let us not abuse the freedom Christ gave us to ruin our Christian walk and very possibly that of another. Be wise.
SOURCES
Christiantoday
Keepthefaith
Patheos
Meganblackmore
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