Modesty Part I: A Flower Is More Beautiful With Petals

As a little girl, I would often role play my future and imagine what it would be like when I get married.  Part of my role-playing would include a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Not something that was dead and wilted, or losing it’s petals, but fresh, handpicked Lillis of the Valley, Lilacs, Clover, and an occasional Iris (if there were enough blooming that no one would notice).  I would imagine myself walking down the aisle with my beautiful fragrant bouquet of flowers that were full of life and greeting my handsome prince.

Have you ever stopped to think about what your future Prince Charming may be like?  Yes? No?  Maybe?  I know that your wedding day may seem so far away, but I would suggest to you, that now is the time to start planning for the future. You see God has plans for you including thinking about and planning for your future husband. At this point, I hope I did not make you freak out or panic because some of you are obviously not ready for marriage yet. What I am saying is that what you do now during your teenage years, represents how well you are planning for the future. Take how you dress for example. If you wear shorts that are cut so short that they reveal your underwear (yes, including your thong), you are allowing every man whether they are eight years old or eighty, to capture an image of you that will forever be engrained in their mind.  You may be thinking, so what! That’s exactly my intention. I want every man to get a nice picture of me. However, have you ever stopped to think, “How would my future husband feel knowing that every man you came in contact with has a visual image of what it might be like to be with his future bride?”

What about the shirts you wear? I mean, the latest fashion calls for everyone to wear shirts with the sides cut out, to show off those guns oh, and don’t forget, your bra as well. Plus, other girls are wearing shirts that allow the majority of their cleavage to show, so what’s the big deal? At least the boys notice me right? You are correct. They will and do notice you. Any teen-aged boy would and so will dads, grandpas, brothers, uncles, bosses, male teachers, and sexual predators.

At this point, you may be thinking, so, why exactly is this something I should be concerned about? Is this a problem? After all, I can wear whatever I want. I ask you again to imagine what you would say to your future husband as he sees how every guy you come in contact is storing their own visual image of you in their minds which can and does occasionally pop up in the future.

Here’s why you should care: God wants you to know that you are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14) He asks for “ women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments…”(2 Timothy 2:9) because your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:19)

As you get older and start to narrow in on God’s perfect “Prince” for you, you will find that good Christian men are not searching for the perfect flower that is wilted or lacking fragrance, but rather one that is clothed in God’s glory. When you reveal too much skin or parts of your body for all the world to see, then it’s like you are giving your future husband a wilted bouquet of flowers. He might find it difficult to try and share intimate moments with you knowing that you have already been visually shared with someone else.

So, before getting dressed up in that flowing semi-transparent, belly button, skinny jean revealing outfit, think “Would my future husband be okay with me wearing this outfit?” “Would I be dishonoring my heavenly father’s wishes if I walked out the door in this outfit?” If the answer is no, or even if you have some hesitancy to your response, then maybe you should take a second look before you allow someone to add you to their visual library. Now is the time to become the perfect bouquet for your special “Prince” that God has set aside especially for you.