How hot is too hot? How much skin is too much skin? Which joints of your body need covering up? Everyone wants a list, but the Bible doesn’t provide one. It does, however, teach us the naked truth about clothing. The reason we wear clothes isn’t to keep warm or “wow” people with the latest fashion. And it’s not just about helping guys keep their thoughts pure either. There’s a far more profound reason why we need to be careful about what we wear. Find out what it is in this week’s Girls Gone Wise video book blog.
1. Read the seventh point of contrast between a Wild and a Wise Thing (Pages 93-108).
2. Download and complete the Chapter Questions for Personal Reflection.
3. Post your comments on the Blog.
• What does it mean to dress "as a prostitute?"
• How might the concept that clothing is meant to display deep and profound spiritual truths about the gospel change the way a woman dresses?
• Refer to the second paragraph on page 102. Which pitfalls about the practical question of what and what not to wear have tripped you up?
• In what way do the principles that a woman's clothing ought to be "becoming, decent and moderate" challenge you?
Leave a Comment:
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Comments
Mothers need to set examples for their daughters. Some moms you see look like they are trying to be their daughter's age.
Tops that show cleavage, when bent over or not , should not be worn by a Christian woman. Some things are meant for only her husband. It really bugs me when young girls wear low tops/dresses to church especially. Short shorts and short skirts are not for a Christian girl/woman. Maybe she's NOT asking for it, but it sure looks like she is.
on Thursday, June 10, 2010 at 10:20 am
This is so important today! Thank you for talking about this issue. With four girls it is something we care deeply about. I have found that dressing modestly starts as a toddler. If they get used to modest clothing early it isn't as much of a battle. As they get older they have to ask their Dad, especially on Sunday mornings. His opinion is so different than mine. It is baffling to hear what men "think" when they see how a woman is dressed and learn from them what it does to their whole body. And though I don't understand it, I respect what he says it does.
I was also really impressed with the men's comments on the modesty survey that the Harris boys did. It's an eyeopener! http://www.therebelution.com/modestysurvey/
As far as clothiong "appeal" is concerned we really are "waffles and spaghetti" wonderfully made but created so totally different!
on Thursday, June 10, 2010 at 10:21 am
As parents, it is our responsibliity to teach our children the proper "Godly" way to dress. As Christians, it's our duty to speak up about this issue! This is just another "snare of the devil.'
In public, you witness heads turning towards the low cut shirts, the super short shorts, the tight tank tops with just about everything hanging out! Do these girls not realize they are being used as bait by satan to entice others to fall into sin? Have they really never been taught this at home or in their church? I bring up church because I have seen plenty of young ladies who have been raised in church and who attend church regularily out in public with "less than modest" clothing on WITH THEIR PARENTS! It makes me want to stop the parents and shout WHAT ARE YOU THINNKING?????
Facebook is another culprit. I was shocked just this week to see pictures of a young teenager from our church that had posted pictures of herself for the public to see........ in her bikini ! I was appalled at the comments she had received on the pictures from guys; only to laugh them off. Does she really not know this is not Godly? And where are her parents Godly guidance? Are we Christians taking a stand against this Satonic trap or do we not want to "offend" the parents or the teenager so we just turn our heads and walk away quietly?
Until more Christians stand up for Godliness, our society will continue on the downhill spiral. It's up to us to stand up and let others know this is not acceptable. It's NOT ok to dress like an angel on Sunday morning and like a prostitite on Monday!
2 Timothy 2:26. We Christians have been silent for so long, and so afraid of stepping on toes that we have become part of the problem! I heard it said once that "if you are not part of the solution; then you are part of the problem." I agree with this 100%!
on Thursday, June 10, 2010 at 10:34 am
.. a young man who just married started bringing his wife. She is unbelievably well endowed and wears the tightest possible shirts... it distracts EVEN ME. I feel for the men there, it's got to be killing them. How could they even pay attention to the sermons? I could barely do so the first time she showed up! And her husband looked tickled pink. I was SO happy (and very thankful to God) my husband wasn't there. You don't even have to like the girls face, it's that distracting.
Even though I sound jealous and very bitter I began to pray the second I saw her, for the men there and myself to ignore it and for this poor young lady. I know what it's like to be young and happy to be so. I would never be the person to talk with her because I don't know the state of her faith and I'm not popular there BUT this blog reminded me to pray and continue praying. So thank you TrueWoman.
What these women need is PRAYER and the men who have to be around it do also. If they are at 'church' they have made a step in the right direction, let's not step on them or put our anger on them as much as it's hurting our husbands and marriages.
If you're a teen or young lady reading this, please don't be angry, just think about the marriages in your fellowship, they are precious to those in them.. it's difficult being strong in a covenant. Let's support those beautiful covenants and not be angry that we can't be 'free' because it's really not freedom when you are harming... and we do love one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. Those couples are there to learn about Christ would anyone want to be a stumbling block for them? I am sure no one in a right heart would. Consider this as me begging you to reconsider how you dress, with kindness in your hearts to the value of marriage and towards your brothers who may be trying to be chaste.
on Thursday, June 10, 2010 at 11:08 am
on Thursday, June 10, 2010 at 2:56 pm
We have to stop worrying about offending our children, friends, co-workers, family, etc. and start standing up for Godly principles. The correction should be done in a gentle way, as not to offend.
Thank you for pointing out that many females may not even know what they are doing.
on Thursday, June 10, 2010 at 4:23 pm
on Thursday, June 10, 2010 at 4:30 pm
Actually, only a very few number of paraplegics dont have sexual feelings, sexual arousal and are not able to father children. The majority of them have the same sexual desires and capabilities of every other normal male they just can perform physically.
So Ladies, please keep this in mind. Thank you TrueWoman for allowing us to share our concerns and burdens on your website.
on Friday, June 11, 2010 at 1:07 pm
on Friday, June 11, 2010 at 1:12 pm
on Friday, June 11, 2010 at 1:57 pm
We have a very close relationship and have talked about this many times. Actually, as Anonymous stated above, we have had to move in public to get him away from falling into sexual, impure thoughts because of the way girls around him were dressed! At times when he is with me, the girls treat him as if he was just "one of the girls." They dont realize, as Carrie said above, that he has the same sexual urges as any other man and that he is prone is to sexual sin the same as everybody else!
So please keep this in mind ladies when you are around those with physical ailments.
on Friday, June 11, 2010 at 2:10 pm
on Saturday, June 12, 2010 at 12:57 am
Thanks again for helping me age on the inside better as time passes and get closer to God.
on Saturday, June 12, 2010 at 9:43 am
Thank you SO much for sharing!
on Saturday, June 12, 2010 at 10:53 am
Carrie: Your post above about paraplegics really made me think. I believe society in general puts any physically handicapped person in a catagory all of their own. As children of God, this is wrong. They do have the same emotional and spirtual feelings as everyone else. They do have the ability to sin (just not physically). I think sometimes we are too busy in the mode of "feeling sorry for them" that we dont realize they are normal human beings just like everyone else with the same fleshy tendancy towards sin. For us to think any differently is leading them into sin.
Thanks so much Carrie for your post.
on Saturday, June 12, 2010 at 5:02 pm
on Sunday, June 13, 2010 at 2:48 pm
Its the little things in life like this that we should be using to take the eye off us and on God. Its's the little things like this we never think about. Satan is attacking families today at an alarming rate.
WOW............I stand amazed
on Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 8:42 am
on Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 10:35 am
on Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 11:16 am
on Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 11:30 am
I TIMOTHY 2:8-10: “I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but which is proper for women professing godliness with good works."This verse implies that a woman’s clothing can be proper or improper in correlation to her character.
PROVERBS 11:22: “As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, so is a lovely woman who lacks discretion.”
Her indiscretion takes away her beauty and does not reinforce her good qualities.
Looks Can Kill Spiritually
I JOHN 2:16-17: “For all that is in the world -- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- is not of the Father but of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
ROMANS 14:13: “Let us not judge one another anymore but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.”
PROVERBS 12:1: “Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.”
God sometimes uses His people, our spiritual family, to teach us and we should remain humble and teachable as He does so.
2 Timothy 3:1-2 …In the last days…men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers…
Psalm 36:2 For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin.
James 3:16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
Don’t you find that self-seeking people—those consumed with THEIR opinions, THEIR looks, THEIR pursuits, THEIR hobbies, THEIR sports and THEIR accomplishments—are quite boring and annoying?
It's ALL about keeping our eyes (and others eyes) on Jesus and not on ourselves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
on Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 11:50 am
I think that if I'm thinking of anyone as boring or annoying, I've stopped seeing them with the love (charity) that God calls me to, and my heart aches to the point of tears when I see: I am at it again. Because yes, I too am one who goes 'there' with these thoughts (more often than I want to think about).
I believe that when we are pointing fingers and not walking gently with the messages of God it won't be received, or that IF it is it will be very long after the fact (I'd say maybe even decades). Yes presenting them (God's thoughts on these matters) softly with care, to those who might have worn a bikini on 'facebook', might be seen, instead of as an affront as: a reflection of the tenderness of Christ... let us hope (through Christ), and not as a finger pointed squarely in their faces. If they understand that it is with humbleness and pain that we come trying to help perhaps they won't pour out the wrath of the hurt they will (of course) feel when they might see more plainly the wrong they are in the middle of. God help their poor flesh (and our own), may God help them to see with love how they may be harming young men around them or wives who really have better things to do than be in pain over the thoughts of what their husband might now be 'fantasizing over'.
We, all fall short. God help us. Praise Him for his mighty GRACE. If we are pointing... who are we to point? If we are helping then... who are we trying to reflect.
on Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 2:02 pm
To j above.....2 Timothy 3:1-2 …In the last days…men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers....
It really sounds to me like you and thebaretruth are at opposite ends of the spectrum. thebaretruth is trying to correct those that have fallen and j is trying to justify their actions because we all fall short.
Yall both confuse me! The bible says humbly correct, but when you do, you get blasted for it. I think that's why so many people nowadays just ignore what everyone is doing around them and live their own lives. I dont believe this is what the bible tells us to do, but we sure seem to have a lot of Christians with their heads in the sand!
on Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 3:43 pm
"If they understand that it is with humbleness and pain that we COME trying to help..."
i put 'come' in capitals so it would be noticed that i meant 'come' to them (go to them with it), with the difficult-to-say truth.
i don't keep my head in the sand on this kind of thing. what I do however, is take the prayer time to seek a gentle, sincere, tender hearted (towards how I might feel if someone approached me with this) way of directing someone into the Word. i wait until my heart is in a right place. and i have not yet lost a friend over it (praise God). i only approach when I am sure i have the biblical reason to do so and the heart of love with which to do it. i wait until i know the person too, as i would not jump someone with that kind of thing if they didn't know me because they could not know (or even guess) where my heart was. folks that know me know it would simply break my heart not do to a thing with tenderness and care. with what i've been forgiven i understand still, very little what it is to be forgiving, yet: i will try, and i will help, fearing God in how i do so. these are his children, as i am, and i remind myself of this often. i approach it with the care that i approach my own children when they are 'tender' or upset (without condemnation or condescension). there are times where I approach a subject that is touchy, with a blanket, meaning: i speak to a group about a concern but I am thinking of one particular person. this way they don’t feel targeted. it's effective and gentle. no one ends up knowing that I've got a specific person in mind and let me be honest here; usually I'm working on that in myself! if it was about dress I would wait till that lady was wearing something less scandalous. which at times is a long wait. but that gives me the time to pray and be more thoughtful, less hasty.
recently, for example, I've spoken to someone about pride and another about gossip. both things I've also committed or was in the middle of so... I don't often keep my head down, even when it's very hard or embarrassing (as it is when I'm in the middle of it too, I often look to others for help with repentance, first to God and His word). though it causes me tears, much time in prayer and wondering what to do that's best. the prayer time is always welcome though.
this is what I was trying to say. i apologize for the confusion Mary. i realize now that maybe with writing i don't come across as soft or careful. but this is what i try to be, daily. yes, i mess up often (then repent, again). you may now be saying 'she's messed up again' or ... (I hope) 'here she is repenting'
God bless.
on Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 5:29 pm
I just finished reading chapter 7, and was again so blessed I did! I wouldn't have thought that I yet had so much I could learn about appearance/clothing! WOW! The way you explained the Greek terms from 1 Tim. 2, Mary, was so interesting and helpful. The way you explained God's purpose in clothing us in the first place was so profound, and so other than what I usually think about, when I think about modesty! Thank you, thank you! (I had learned some things years ago about all this but hadn't retained it all, and you went into greater detail than I think I ever learned.)
To answer the questions you posed above:
* To dress as a prostitute means to dress in a way that is unbecoming, immodest and/or excessive. "...she peddles her looks for payment of another kind..."(p. 94). As you have noted, this woman is not a prostitute, but dresses AS a prostitute. She seeks payment in terms of attention from others, affection, or other things she wants. She has an underlying attitude (beneath her external, physical adorning) that is not godly.
* The fact that clothing displays deep and profound spiritual truths (as you so aptly explain in the book!) will change the way a Christian woman will dress, in several meaningful ways. She will realize that the whole issue is much deeper than first meets the eye (no pun intended!). If she loves her God and her Savior, and realizes that the covering up with clothes in some way reflects her spiritual need -- and that of all mankind -- to be clothed with the righteousness that is from above, she will want to dress in a way that facilitates the reflection of that! She will realize that now -- since the Fall -- to display nakedness in any way is to reflect a sense of rebellion against God. She will want to adorn the gospel message (the good news that we ARE covered by God's righteousness, when we are in Christ) by adorning herself properly, and not detract from or dishonor the gospel by poor clothing choices.
* The pitfalls that have tripped me up at times would be the temptation to think of clothing as unimportant and dress down too much, as a result (sloppy/frumpy); the temptation to look down on or be judgmental/critical of others who don't seem to be towing the line of modesty (esp. Christians); the temptation not to have a godly, compassionate burden for others to help them to see the real value of modesty, for the gospel's sake! I think now, with this deeper understanding after reading this chapter, I will see the issue in a whole new light and have a more scriptural burden for the ladies I notice who are immodest (esp. young, esp. Christian). I will have a much better message to bring them as to WHY it is important for them to dress in a way that glorifies God!
* Understanding these three principles from 1 Tim. 2 (again, Mary, thank you for the in-depth explanation!) will give me a heightened sense of awareness as to how I should and should not dress. It is already challenging me about my appearance in general, and whether I have been neglectful of it (in terms of not caring enough, allowing "frumpy" at times to pass for modesty, or not making the effort to dress nicely because it is expensive -- the Lord can provide clothes in so many ways -- with faith, money does not have to be an issue -- I think it's the desire/effort involved that I have lacked!). This whole study challenges me to be mindful that I put myself together well -- in a godly way that adorns the gospel of Christ -- to be more intentional (though not obsessed) about it. Amen!
I loved all the scripture citations in the chapter, Mary, as well as the Piper quotations about the purpose of clothing. I think the verse that best sums it up for me is Rom. 13:14.
Loving blessings to you all!
on Wednesday, June 16, 2010 at 6:21 pm