Cute, Classy, and Covered

Modesty:   freedom from conceit or vanity; propriety in dress, speech, or conduct

We live in a world that says the more you show, the greater the attention. And I’m not disputing that fact. I know that to be true because I have experienced the large amounts of attention you receive when you’re showing everything God gave you. There is no shortage on the quantity of attention you receive, but the quality of it is the concern. Using your body to define who you are is a never-ending battle that you will always lose. We age and gravity will not be defied so you will either be left with losing your identity when your body changes or being one of those people who refuse to acknowledge that you no longer have the body to “pull off” some of the revealing clothes you have been wearing. But in actuality, none of us can pull it off spiritually. Sure, you may be in great physical condition but if you’ve demeaned yourself to show off what should be covered….what kind of shape is your heart in?

Proverbs 7:10-12 10 Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent. 11 (She is unruly and defiant, her feet never stay at home;12 now in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks.)

The first impression we give people typically sets the tone for how they treat us. What does your clothing say about you? For so long, I let my body do the talking because that was the only thing I thought I had going for myself. I wore the skimpiest and tightest clothes I could get away with wearing because I “had the body to do it”. The attention I got from men fueled an emptiness I was looking to fill. I was that woman who was dressed like a prostitute, never staying at home. I couldn’t bear the thought of exposing my heart to someone, even myself because I had no control over what they would find. So, I can give them a full preview of what my body had to offer. I let conceit confuse me into believing I had confidence. I was so vain physically because I didn’t want to take the time to become beautiful spiritually.

It was much easier to flaunt my body than to be honest with my heart. Although I was barely clothed most of the time, I used that as a mask to hide my ugly heart. Sure, I got attention from lots of men but it was only from those who wanted what I seemed to be offering. None of them were after my heart because they were so blinded by the flesh they saw. I couldn’t blame them for the way they approached me because the message I was sending was very clear: I’M CHEAP! My appearance made me look like I was for sale, at a very low price, instead of reflecting that I was redeemed.

I had to learn to look in the mirror and see ME instead of my body, if I wanted anyone else to. There was something I had to do that I had never had the courage to do and that was being honest with myself. I have diminished my own worth by not keeping my body sacred and treating it as a temple of Christ. I let everyone see parts of me that should have been for my future husband’s eyes only.  I let my body, and the men who wanted it, determine my worth. Beyond what people could see, I felt worthless but that was something I refused to deal with. I stayed in the gym but spent no time with God. I knew if I had to be alone with ME, I would have to deal with me.

And then THIS happened:  1 Corinthians 6:18-20 18Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 19Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

I had already been bought with a price and my body belonged to God. I was abusing property that didn’t even belong to me. I real estate agent can’t show every house that’s available because they have to get permission from the owner. I was that real estate agent that had placed an “Open House” sign on the lawn and let everyone who wanted to see the home take a tour without ever checking with the honor to see if they met the qualifications. The people were only doing what I was allowing them to do. They need they had nothing to offer but I required nothing.

When I realized how valuable God thought I was, I was able to change the way I saw myself. When I changed how I saw ME, then I could change the way I presented myself to other people. Modesty is not about dressing like you’re 90 and not being fashionable. It’s about valuing yourself enough to reflect who God says you are. As a woman, it is your responsibility to set the standard on how people treat you. If you don’t, who else will?

With All My Love,
Mrs. Truscott