A heart beat for humility

Heart beats for humility


Modesty, what is the purpose? Why Modesty? What is the Purpose,


Truly modesty is not an out ward appearance, after all the true Glory of a woman is not found in her appearance, modestly is a heart issue.


A stripper once said, “ I can seduce any man by simple taking off a glove.”


Women in burkas can seduce with their eyes. It does not matter what you wear, but who for, how, what is your heart behind wearing what you are wearing.


It is not what you wear, or what you are clothed in, modesty, being called higher is a heart is issue, the power, the choice, the decision of modesty of humility beings with the heart,


But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” – 1 Samuel 16:7


Modesty, it stems from the heart, you can do and say and wear all the right things in mans eye… but this world is so vast, Modest, ot prudent changes from culture to culture, but what is your heart beat? Who’s attention and gratification are you looking for? Are you seeking to bring honor and Glory to God.. Or are you seeking the attention and confirmation of man. , but if your heart doesn't desire to honor the lord, and out of a love for him, you seek to honor him, it's meaningless.


Psalm 51:10


God create in me a clean heart oh God and renew a stead fast spirit within me.


Being a woman of steadfast hope and spirit begins with the heart, any work must begin with the cleaning of the heart.
In mans eyes you will fall short, Galatians 1:10


For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ
1 Peter 3:3-4


Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.


It is not what you wear, but who you are adorned to.


“that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.- Ephesians 4:22-24


“But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.
Walk in Light


8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says:


“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”






“Don’t mimic that. When you come to church, come dressed in a way that shows you desire to the attention to be on God, not yourself.”


A person’s manner of dress, or even their preoccupation with clothing itself (Matthew 6:28-30), is often indicative of a heart that loves self more than God.


3. Modesty is about behavior and attitude, not just clothing When Paul says that women should wear “respectable apparel,” the term “apparel” is probably translated too narrowly: it is a term that encompasses not just clothing, but one’s whole demeanor, attitude, and actions.Ultimately, what should adorn a woman is not just clothing but “good works.” As Christians, we are being remade by God for good works (Ephesians 2:10). Christ died so that we might be zealous for good works (Titus 2:14). Women should seek to dress their lives in works that do good to others, marked with godly love.


This means mode
4. Modesty shows sensitivity to sin


In this text Paul says a woman’s apparel should be worn with “modesty.” Other translation opt for the word “decency.” The King James Version translates this “shamefaced,” which gets more to the heart of the word.


It is talking about a demeanor of reverence, showing respect to oneself and a regard for others. It even carries the connotation of “bashful.” Connected to the term “shame,” the word implies the idea of grief over sin that is in the world—that a woman would be so sensitive to sin, knowing that sin is offensive to God, that she would never come close to trying to provoke it in others.


No, a woman is not guilty of a man’s lust if she dresses with the intention to allure him. Let him account for his sins. But she is guilty of a lack of shamefacedness, for treating sin lightly. A heart of modesty is motivated by a love for one’s fellow man.
5. Modesty involves cultural discretion


Paul didn't just paint broad strokes when talking about modesty; he gave specifics. He said braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire were out of place for a truly modest woman.


Some knowledge of Roman culture is helpful for understanding what Paul is saying. In Paul’s day, Greek hairstyles for women were fairly simple: hair was parted in the middle and pinned in the back. But a culture change was sweeping the region. Women in the imperial household were wearing their hair with elaborate curls and braids, covered in expensive ornaments. The elite throughout the empire copied this style.


For Paul, the appearance of braids and ornaments was more about what the fashion communicated. They carried connotations of imperial luxury and conjured up images of notoriously immoral Empresses like Valeria Messalina and Poppeaea Sabina, ancient equivalents of Cosmopolitan cover girls.


The poet Juvenal, a contemporary of Paul, gives a vivid description of this cultural trend:


“There is nothing that a woman will not permit herself to do. Nothing that she deems shameful. And when she encircles her neck with green emeralds and fastens huge pearls to her elongated ears, so important is the business of beautification. So numerous are the tiers and stories piled one another on her head that she pays no attention to her own husband.”


Similarly, the philosopher Philo gives a description of a prostitute in his writing called “The Sacrifices of Cain and Abel”:


“A prostitute is often described as having hair dressed in elaborate braids, her eyes with pencil lines, her eyebrows smothered in paint and her expensive clothes embroidered lavishly with flowers and bracelets and necklaces of gold and jewels hanging all over her.”


Paul’s description of immodest dress conjured a picture of someone preoccupied with appearance, fashion, luxury, and sexual prowess. Similarly, modern modesty standards are not about arbitrary rules of how much skin is shown or how low-cut something is, but about the messages and values our clothing communicates.
6. Modesty is about true freedom, not repression


More often than not, modesty standards are seen as repressive, arbitrary rules that restrict a woman’s creativity and freedom. But when modesty is motivated from the heart, the exact opposite is true.


Paul says women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel with “self-control.” This might be better understood as “self-mastery,” being of sound mind or sober, being in control of one’s impulses and appetites. In extra-biblical literature, this word has sexual nuances: being able to totally control your romantic and erotic desires.


Immodesty is often, though not always, a kind of slavery. A woman may be enslaved by her desire to attract a man. She might define her worth by her fashion sense, her sex appeal, her image, her bust size, her weight, or the brand names she wears. This kind of slavery is widespread because sin impacts us all, and in today’s sexually charged, media-saturated culture, many women fall prey to this kind of slavery.


But as Christians we are free from the slavery of sin because we are united to Christ. Paul exhorts us to live out this freedom: “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions” (Romans 6:12). When it comes to modest dress, we can follow Paul’s next statement quite literally: Do not present the members of your body to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present your members to God as instruments for righteousness (v.13). Paul wants Christian woman to have self-mastery in their wardrobe choices, to be totally free from worldly ways of defining worth, beauty, and sexiness.


Ironically, it is not just those who are scantily dressed that are enslaved, but even those who pride themselves on their modesty. “Modest is hottest,” they say, unaware that in their own hearts, they are still enslaved to a preoccupation with their physical image, still defining their worth by their outward adornment.
Defining Modesty


Taken together, these aspects of modesty help to give us a working definition. Modesty is a respectable manner of adorning one’s body and carrying oneself, born out of a freedom from a worldly definition of beauty and worth, and motivated by a hatred of sin and a desire to draw attention to God.


When it comes to the subject of modest clothing, the first question we should ask ourselves is: What am I trying to accomplish by what I wear?


Former Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi often told his players, “The best defense is a good offense.” Is that principle applicable to the Christian life? Undoubtedly it is! Those who think positively will be more apt to succeed in their walk with the Lord than those who do not because they will adopt positive actions that will please Him.


In Philippians 4:8, the Apostle Paul zeroed in on some things believers should set their minds on—to think about to the point that they affect their Christian life. One of the words he mentions is pure. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance says the word means “properly clean, i.e. (figurative) innocent, modest, perfect :- chaste, clean, pure.” (Strong’s Greek Dictionary of the New Testament, Abingdon Press, 1980, p. 6). Though the Bible is not a fashion guide, it is a guide for the Christian life-style. A Christian, whether male or female, should think and dress modestly.


Ask, what are some examples of immodest dress that you have seen lately? What, in your opinion, could the person have done to make their attire more appropriate?


There are three guidelines for the Christian life-style that are relevant to the issue of modesty that I want us to examine together today. The first is: the modest person will stay away from every form of evil. Turn to First Thessalonians 5:22. (Ask someone to read the verse. If more than one translation is available, ask that the verse be read from some of them.)


Ask, some things are obviously wrong, aren’t they? Let’s name a few of them. (If a whiteboard is available, write some of the responses on the board.)


Ask, can you think of some things that may not be wrong but give the appearance of evil?


First Thessalonians 5:22 says that we should avoid both that which is evil and that which has the appearance of evil. The word translated stay away from is a strong word that means “to hold oneself away from.” Looking at some of the things that we have previously mentioned, how could we stay away from them?


Turn to John 17:15-16. What effect, if any, does the idea that we are not to be “of” the world but still be “in” it have on the things we have just mentioned?


Ask, how could this be applicable to the issue of modesty in one’s attire?


The second guideline for the Christian life-style that is relevant to the issue of modesty is: the modest person will be a good example. Turn to Titus 2:7. The word translated example is one that means to make a mark or impression with a tool, a die, or a stamp. Though Paul wrote this verse to Timothy as a pastor, the principle applies to every believer. The modest person will set the right kind of example for others to see and follow. They will make the right impression by the manner in which they dress, as well as by the way they act.


Ask, how does 1 Peter 3:1-5 relate to this? Do the principles found here relate to men and boys as well?


Ask, what are some ways that we can dress modestly and set the right example for others to follow?


The third guideline for the Christian life-style that is relevant to the issue of modesty is: the modest person will practice self-control. Turn to Galatians 5:22-23. William Barclay says the word self-control refers to “the spirit which has mastered its desires and its love of pleasure.” Ask, how do you think self-control applies to dressing modestly?


Ask, in what way does Colossians 3:5 speak to this matter of self-control?


Ask, have you ever had to express self-control in purchasing (or not purchasing) some article of clothing—maybe something that you wanted but felt was questionable? What did you do?


In an article by Vicki Courtney entitled Sexy Too Soon, the author asks the question: “Have you shopped for girls’ clothing lately? Toddlers to teens are inundated with adult fashions. Pop singer Beyonce now has her own clothing line that introduces the red-light district to the school lunchroom.


“Popular clothing items among teens include thong underwear and shorts displaying suggestive words across the backside. The abundance of racy clothing emphasizes the message: Dress sexy.”


Later in the article she says that teenagers are being unduly influenced by their parents who “fret over physical appearance or enjoy media laden with sexual images.”


Ask, what message would you have for parents who dress their small children in outfits that are immodest and inappropriate? Are they setting a precedent that they may regret later?


The question that all of us need to think about as we close is: Am I living with modesty or am I setting the wrong example with my life-style?


WHAT CAN ONE PERSON DO?


1. Always pray for God’s guidance both before you go shopping and as you shop for clothing. Ask Him to direct your thoughts and your purchases.


2. Decide that you will not purchase anything that might be too revealing. If in doubt, choose something else.


3. Look for stores that typically carry a good selection of modest clothing styles. The latest fashion may very well be outside the bounds of modesty.


4. If you have friends who dress modestly, ask them how they decide what to buy and wear?


5. If you are a parent of small children, exercise caution in the clothing you purchase for them. Be careful not to dress them in anything that you wouldn’t want to see them in when their bodies are more fully developed. Remember, you are constantly setting a precedent for the future even at a very young age.


6. If you are a female, apply the eight step test located here to decide if an article of clothing is appropriate or not.




Proverbs 31:30


Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.




1 John 2:16


For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.
1 Corinthians 10:31


So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Peter 5:5-6


Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,

Matthew 6:1


“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
Romans 14:13


Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.








1 Thessalonians 4:3-4


For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,
Proverbs 6:27-28





Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?