Lesson 25: Watch Your Wardrobe

(A lesson mostly for girls)

Crossing the campus library lawn, she was certain she cut quite a figure. She could feel the heads turning as she walked by. Pretending to pick a stray hair off her shoulder, she caught three of them. Two quickly looked away. One just stood there, gaping.

Pure vanity, she knew, but it felt good.

Oh, my, here he comes. A guy she had yet to catch rubber-necking. Walking straight toward her. What a smile. A regular Val Kilmer on a Christian campus. This she had to investigate.

She stopped and touched him on the shoulder. "Hi, can you tell me where the closest entrance to the library is?" (As if I didn't already know.)

He turned, his smile wide. "Yeah, sure. Just over there. See those two green marble pillars? That's where you want to go."

I've never seen whiter teeth. And that thick hair. What color are his eyes?

When she looked to check, what she saw almost made her snarl. His eyes were focused where they really shouldn't have been. Reaching to play with her necklace, she watched the eyes switch to her face. She sensed a trace of embarrassment. Not nearly enough.

"My name's Craig. Craig Sanders." The smile now touched his ears. He held out a hand. "What's yours?"

Turning toward the library, she began walking. "I can't remember."

Guys—they're all the same. Every one of them with his mind in the sewer.

A Fresh Take on Modesty

Having made your own wardrobe decisions for perhaps a decade now, you may find it difficult to take an honest look at this subject. That's understandable. For eighteen-plus years you've been fed the line, "If you don't look sexy, you're nothing."

Satan's lies are pretty easy to spot when set down in black and white, aren't they? The problem is, Satan doesn't pawn his lies concerning modesty in bold italic. Instead, he takes a mind and slowly weaves a web in it. Because each thread is so fine, most girls don't notice. Over time Satan casts a thick, crisscrossing pattern, captivating women—even Christians—to his agenda. Eventually many ladies accept standards of dress that, with a little imagination, would make God's angels blush and the devil's demons leer.

God's Concern for You

This problem isn't new. The apostle Paul had to deal with it almost two thousand years ago:

"I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes" (1 Timothy 2:9).

Before you shut this lesson down in disgust, be assured of this: In giving that command, God has your best interests at heart. He's not trying to make life miserable for you. If you're convinced of that, you'll hear him out on the subject.

Modesty is for your own good. Consider these reasons why:

Does anyone need to tell you that you live in a world where crimes against women are on the increase? Realize that many men have also been fed a huge line: "If she dresses sexy, she wants it." Enough said.

Any way you cut it, immodest dress enables Satan to do his job of jerking men around. You don't want that on your conscience. Choose modesty, and we, your brothers in Christ, will salute you with a thankful smile.

It takes effort to silence the voice of the Spirit as you slip on that sweater that's just a tad tight, a little low-cut. Moreover, the power sensation that comes with immodest dress is totally shallow. Wouldn't it be far more thrilling for your soul to please Jesus with your wardrobe? The apostle Peter, a married man who understood the issues, wrote:

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. (1 Peter 3:3-5)

No shame in that. And that passage brings up a couple more good points.

When the wrinkles finally set in—and they will—you won't be wringing your hands, worried about that oh-so-necessary facelift.

God isn't asking you to look frumpy. He wants you to be as beautiful as you can be. True beauty is an inward thing. It can take an otherwise ordinary girl and make her sparkle. In contrast, outward beauty can look pretty ugly on a girl who feels compelled to flaunt it.

Finally, a Good Match

Over the next few years, you will likely be looking for your future husband. As you do, consider this final point: Modesty attracts purity.

Do you want a guy lured in just because some part of you is well endowed? That is a shaky foundation for any relationship. Wouldn't you much rather find someone who loves you for who you are, not for the clothes you wear—or the curves underneath?

None of this is about wearing a refrigerator box for the rest of your life. This is about marrying a godly guy, one who won't be sneaking peeks at the competition for the rest of your life.

Those godly guys are out there. They're worth the wait.

Take a critical look at your wardrobe and make some wise, God-honoring decisions. Enjoy real beauty.

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