When I have the time, I try my best to engage with my audience directly. I go where they are, I enter their world to glean their perspective of modesty and body image. In my quest to gain more understanding, I joined a Reddit community called, ModestDress. It's a community of women who embrace modesty regardless of their social or religious background.
Sidenote: Want to learn what modesty means and how to apply it? Grab our Modesty Playbook for free!
What stood out to me was the diversity of this group of women all embracing a godly standard and command. I love it when humanity is proof that God did write His word on our hearts, even if all don't identify as Christians. (Hebrews 10:16) I love it when we can all agree on His perfect will.
To deepen my experience, I felt led to make a post in the community called, Modesty Around the World. I shared that I was a body image and self-esteem coach and I had been teaching about modesty for a few years now. I shared how amazing I thought the community was and invited them to share with me why they chose modesty and where they were from.
The response was overwhelming and eye-opening!
Key Takeaways About Why They Chose Modesty
Out of the 24 women who responded, 10 of them said they chose modesty for comfort. That means 42% of women said modesty made them comfortable. More specifically, it kept them from worrying about their clothes and their appearance throughout the day.
6 women said they dress modestly to observe their religious practices (Muslim, Christian, Jewish).
5 women said they chose to dress modestly because they liked physical privacy and consent.
The remaining 3 women said they chose modesty because they had bad weather and skin conditions where they lived.
Here's What Shocked Me About Modesty
Could God know what He's talking about? I know it's a silly question, but if you've doubted God's word before, maybe this is an eye-opener for you. How could women around the world with various religious backgrounds or none at all, agree that modesty is comfortable, maintains privacy and respect, and keeps them from the anxious cares of their appearance...
It appears to me that God's command to modesty proves itself to be a safeguard for women and not just some rule to keep women bound to religious standards.
Take a look at what this pagan woman said about modesty.
She said modesty is freeing! Wow. And I believe that's what God had in mind. So often we think His truths are putting us inside a box or He's giving us petty rules to follow. But the truth is, that God desires our freedom from the bondage of sin and He desires to give us peace of mind. John 8:34 says, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." It is God's truth about modesty that sets us free to be who He designed us to be instead of doing what the world wants.
Think about how much anxiety comes with being immodest. You worry about how good you're going to look or not going to look. You're constantly fixing your clothes or going to the bathroom to make sure everything is intact. You have to approve every picture so that your best angles are showing. You get unwanted attention and people glaring at you. These are just a few but I'm sure you can add a lot more to this list. The point is, that immodesty can be burdensome by keeping you constantly worried and fearful about your looks.
Not only does immodesty come with anxious care, it is sinful. It is God's will that all be modest, decent, and appropriate, "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."
- 1 Timothy 2:9
Modesty is an act of humility and reservation. It takes humility to restrain yourself from bragging with your body and exposing your intimate parts. To disregard God's word in this area is to act pridefully against Him and His perfect will for your appearance. This is true even if you don't claim any religion because Jesus is Lord of all.
So, How Do You Dress Modestly?
Well, there really isn't a list of clothing items the Bible prohibits. However, you can apply 1 Timothy 2:9, and 1 Peter 3:3-4 as the principles for choosing what to wear. There are also other scriptures to keep in mind when choosing modest clothing.
To help you make the right choices about your clothes, I made a Modesty Playbook that you can download for free. It has a pretty cool visual guide and it addresses things like legalism.
Whatever reason you decide to be modest, I hope you come to know the God who made you and His desire for your life. If you'd like to know His perfect plan for you, I also made this platform to better explain what it means to follow Jesus and live for His glory.