Modesty

Typically, we think of this topic as Christians, as having a lot to do with covering up our girls.  And I'm all for that:)  BUT, I've been thinking about it with regard to raising my kids (shocking that that's where my brain lives, I know:).  I've not just been thinking about how I intend to instruct my girls, but also, how I intend to buy for my kids.  There's a balance here, I know, to enjoying the money/resources God's given, and also, exercising stewardship and even sacrifice in our finances.  In the book Give Them Grace by Elyse Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson, I appreciated, in particular, the excerpt (below) on the subject.  You might too:

"But young men should be modest in their attire and demeanor, too.  Just because Grandma is willing to pay for those $250 track shows doesn't mean that Johnnie should have them.  Owning so expensive a pair of shoes may tempt Johnnie to pride and his friends to envy.

Families who pride themselves on their old-fashioned apparel may need to look again at the one good story too.  The only clothing that is truly holy is the robe of righteousness Jesus has given to us.  He has the right to bless us in this way because he is clothed in our flesh.  Our clothing with his goodness is a clothing of the heart in humility and love for our neighbor, not in outward appearances that have absolutely no value against fleshly indulgences, but rather stirs them up (Col. 2:20-23).  If we are proud of the way we dress, whether fashionably or unfashionably, we're forgetting our true clothing.  'Nothing gives one a more spuriously good consciences than keeping rules, even if there has been a total absence of all real charity and faith.'  Modesty is primarily a matter of the heart and secondarily a matter of dress.  Here are some questions you can ask yourself when you're faced with an apparel decision for your child:

*Do I notice a difference in the way my child acts when she wears a certain style of clothing?
*Does he act desperate when trying to get me to buy him a brand-name shirt or expensive shoes?
*Is this just a style preference?  Or is there someone that my child is trying to mimic?  If so, is this person someone who loves the Lord?
*Is my child willing to spend exorbitant sums of money for a new pair of jeans when there are other more important items that she needs?
*Does this piece of clothing accentuate or show off a part of my child's body in an inappropriate or attention-grabbing way?  Do these clothes shout, 'Look at me!  See how beautiful I am!'?
*Can my child still see the joys of the gospel when she wears old clothes or doesn't get her hair cut the way she wants?
*Does my child understand that loving her Christian brothers and keeping them from temptation is the fruit of Jesus' work in her heart?"