WOG Feature: Esther Garcia: Modesty Inside & Out

(article written by Esther Garcia; used w/ permission)

“The 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 an abomination unto the LORD thy God.” Deuteronomy 22:5

I remember being a bit shocked when I first heard of this verse. Not because I didn’t know that us women should not wear men’s clothing, but I was surprised that there was a verse clear as day that commands us not to. To our God, it is an “abomination”, something “God can NOT stand.”

As I write what God puts in my heart to share with you ladies, I pray that you will not only read this but also understand and APPLY it to your own personal life. Also please know that this is not only for you; I also need to apply this to my own life every day. I too have once been through the stage where I didn’t want to be seen modest or different from all the rest of the girls out in the world. Then I came to think...was it a stage or was it because I didn’t have the mind of Christ? By God’s grace and mercy, He has set me free and made me realize how special we are to be called His daughters! We were called to be His LIGHT! “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.” Matthew 5:14. We were called to SHINE for Him and to be a help for this world, and I think it is such an awesome privilege! Praise Be To God!

Modesty is not what most girls think it is. Yes, it does have to do with what you wear, but there is so much more to it! Modesty is part of our lives. 
“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.” Proverbs 31:30. 
It also has to do with how we live for God, and the life style we have every single day. What’s the point of dressing modest if we don’t read God’s word or talk to Him in our daily lives? Who are we really trying to please? Lord help us not be like those that the Lord talked about in Matthew 15:8 “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me….” The main thing I want to point out to you ladies is that in our HEARTS is where modesty begins. “The fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Knowledge….” Proverbs 1:7, if we fear God, in other words, have a reverence to His presence, then everything else will

fall in its place, including modesty. Having that fear in our hearts is like planting a seed of modesty. Little by little, the Lord will start showing you what He wants for your life and He will also show you what He doesn’t want for your life.

Now you might be wondering, “Well how do I start?” We just have to read Proverbs 1:7, we start when we realize our lives haven’t been truly faithful to God, and when we begin to have a fear, a respect, then that’s when you come before His presence and ask Him to help you. Believe me, if you truly want to change, He WILL help you. “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand…” Isaiah 41:10

Now with clothing, I’ve  heard so many negative responses when it has to do with how we dress, like: ” I don’t want to look like an old lady, there’s no modest clothing in stores nowadays, dressing modest is like dressing like a nun, my body doesn’t look good in certain types of modest clothing…” and so forth. 
Now, understand that if we had a relationship with God we wouldn’t be making excuses or any negative comment like the ones I just mentioned.

As for "looking like an old lady", I’ve seen so many girls that dress modest and they look so beautiful, especially when they have a relationship with God. You can just sense it and that stands out more than how they dress. Of course you’re not going to be dressing like a homeless person or just not care how your outer appearance looks like. We don’t want to scare people away either. The Lord tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:19,”….know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own.” He is telling us that our bodies are a temple and we represent Him. This an amazing privilege that we must take seriously! 
 

I pray this article was of help to your life. May it also inspire you to dress and live like the daughter of God you are! God bless you young ladies!