How do you define modesty?
05/20/08 02:33 PM
This time of the year was always an interesting time at our house while my daughters were growing up – especially during their teen years. With summer right around the corner, it was time to go bathing suit shopping. The objective: to find a suitable bathing suit. The challenge: the definition of the word "suitable."
To the girls, "suitable" was synonymous with words like - attractive, fashionable, in style, etc. For me, the word "suitable" had the connotations of covering enough skin so that you would be prepared for an unexpected blizzard or ice age in July – I mean, you never know, right?
To the girls, "suitable" was synonymous with words like - attractive, fashionable, in style, etc. For me, the word "suitable" had the connotations of covering enough skin so that you would be prepared for an unexpected blizzard or ice age in July – I mean, you never know, right?
We managed to always find an acceptable compromise as long as it didn't involve the words "two-piece." Actually, the annual debates discussions about their swimsuits prompted a lot of really good conversations about modesty. And we've always attempted to keep the emphasis on relationship not rules. More specifically, modesty in particular, and morality in general isn't something that can be effectively legislated. In other words, there's more to modesty than simply the length of your hemline. Modesty is primarily an attitude of our heart.
C.J. Mahaney recently finished up an excellent series of blog posts on this particular issue. The posts are seven consecutive sections from his chapter, "God, My Heart, and Clothes," which will be published in the forthcoming book Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World. If the rest of the book is as rich as the chapter on modesty, it should be a tremendous read! I'm planning on pre-ordering a copy. But in the meantime, I would highly recommend C.J.'s series on his blog. You can start with chapter one here, or see the entire index, as well as discussion questions here.
C.J. Mahaney recently finished up an excellent series of blog posts on this particular issue. The posts are seven consecutive sections from his chapter, "God, My Heart, and Clothes," which will be published in the forthcoming book Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World. If the rest of the book is as rich as the chapter on modesty, it should be a tremendous read! I'm planning on pre-ordering a copy. But in the meantime, I would highly recommend C.J.'s series on his blog. You can start with chapter one here, or see the entire index, as well as discussion questions here.