Mirroring Christ's Image In Dress
taken from a booklet - "Young Ladies for God's Glory"
written by Mrs. Rebekah E.
You need to keep yourself pure for the one God has for you.
"Let no man despise thy youth;but be thou an example of the believers,...in purity." 1 Timothy 4:12
By yielding yourself to God, you can be the proper example of purity. Write down some guidelines for yourself so that when you are tempted to go astray, you can remind yourself of what God expects you to do.
Guard your dress.
One of the biggest things that make a man or boy lust after you is immodest dress. I am not saying this just because this is what I think. I am saying this because of what my husband has taught me, and what I have learned from other men and boys. Why did David lust after Bathsheba? It was because she was not properly dressed (II Samuel 11:1-5). Tamar, in Genesis 38:14-16, put off her widow’s clothes and put on the clothes of a harlot, which made Judah lust after her. So there is something in clothing that causes a man to lust after your body. Clothes designers fashion clothes with a purpose — for lust! Certain clothing gives a male and a female a sensual, sexual feeling — a feeling that makes you and others more aware of your body.
“A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband…” as we see in Proverbs 12:4 . A virtuous woman is virtuous even in her clothing and in her appearance. She is feminine and modest in her dress. She does not dress to draw the attention of the eyes of men and boys to her body, but dresses so that the attention is drawn to her face. That does not mean that she is to load her face with makeup, but that her clothing brings out her godly countenance.
Some things that cause men and boys to sin in their minds in woman’s dress are tops that are low or wide in the neck in the front or the back, see-through clothing so that you see the undergarments outlined through them, or a top without proper underclothing, tight fitting clothing that outlines the body and shows the shape of the body, slits that flash the flesh when you walk, short clothing that shows too much of your legs, and sleeveless clothing. Lust desires to see more and more flesh. The more flesh you show the more someone will lust after your flesh. A good guideline for judging how high the neckline should be is to place four fingers at the bottom of your neck. Your neckline should not come any lower than the width of four fingers. Some men say that even when a woman’s calf on her leg shows (the lower back part of the leg just below the knee) that it causes them to think lustful thoughts. A good length for a dress or skirt is midway between the knee and the ankle. It is best to be extra cautious than not careful enough. Deuteronomy 22:5 teaches that a woman should not wear a man’s clothing. “A woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.” There should be a distinction of a man or woman in their dress even at a distance.
We are commanded in Scripture to “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (I Thessalonians 5:22). Your body should not have the appearance of evil. Learn to “...approve things that are excellent” (Philippians 1:10a). When you cause someone else to sin, then you have sinned as well. Purpose to keep yourself pure even in your dress, so that you as a virtuous woman will be a crown for your husband someday. The right one will love you for who you are and not for your form, beauty, or for your body. If a man or boy is mainly concerned with your body, then he is only lusting after you and does not have true love for you.
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