This morning, as I lay stretched out on a towel at our nearby beach, I was reminded of a very important attribute that is especially needed in the summer - modesty. As I saw all the scantily-clad young women and other immodestly dressed people, I was reminded of another important truth - the definition of modesty. I know that I sometimes find myself thinking that modesty is only about the clothes. But in reality, you can be dressed in a parka and snow pants at the beach in July and you can still very much be immodest. And that's because immodesty is anything that we wear or do or say that brings glory to us, not glory to God. We can speak immodestly, act immodestly, and, what I want to talk about, dress immodestly.
Many people have this mistaken understanding that only girls can dress immodestly. But that's simply not true. The summer camp that I'm going to next week recognizes that boys and girls can both dress immodestly. In their "What to Pack" checklist, they include a note at the bottom which reads: "All clothing must be modest. This applies to boys and girls." Immodest dress doesn't just have to be a tube top and skimpy shorts (though that is certainly immodest!). It is anything that glorifies you and your body instead of God. That's why boys can just as easily dress immodestly as girls.When they wear clothes that draw attention to themselves instead of God, they are dressing immodestly.
So when it's time to go shopping for summer clothes, remember that immodesty doesn't just have to be scanty clothes; it is anything that brings undue glory to you.
"The clothes we wear are what people see. Only God can look on the heart. The outward signs are important. They reveal something of what is inside. If charity is there, it will become visible outwardly, but if you have no charitable feelings, you can still obey the command. Put it on as simply and consciously as you put on a coat. You choose it; you pick it up; you put it on. This is what you want to wear." - Elisabeth Elliot