A previous post of mine entitled "The Way of the World," which showed up here just a few days ago on August 17, is sort of pre-requisite reading to fully understanding what I have to say now. I hope you'll check it out before you continue.
I've not been long in the effort to be modest in all ways one can be modest. Did you know modesty has to do with more than just the length of a skirt and the depth a neckline plunges on a shirt? If you knew it, you are now ahead of my learning curve of a few years ago. How could a girl brought up in the LDS Church not realize that modesty is about more than the choices of clothing?
To answer that question directly, I think it has everything to do with being direct and specific. All too often lessons are taught and specifics are not specified. Seriously. I love to think symbolically and figure things out and all, but when I'm being taught something (particularly as a youth who wasn't fully applying herself), I wasn't trying to figure things out overmuch. If it wasn't stated explicitly, I had a super easy time justifying myself.
Foolish? Yes. Of course. I never proclaimed perfection for myself. Neither in my past, nor in my present. In fact, I've oft repeated how imperfect and weak I am. In one post in particular, I declared my imperfection and weakness quite explicitly. In another, I half-heartedly tried to blame hormones for some of my bad behavior. These are only a couple examples of me publicly acknoweldging my own humanity and imperfection.
So, here I go again. I was a foolish youth. I didn't try as hard as I should've. I didn't apply myself to understanding the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. I didn't try to understand what oblique references to "things" meant because I, quite frankly, didn't want to know. And this, truly does include not wanting to fully understand what modesty meant and still means to God.
Since I'm the kind of girl who would rather have things spelled out and specified, that's what I do. Overmuch? Yes, probably. Especially (even more than now) in the past. But if you're like me, then maybe you'll be a little glad I've specified... and you might appreciate what I negatively refer to as "verbal vomit." I'm quite good at being 'sick' that way.
Modesty is about choosing God's way of doing things and being. It's about fitting into His mold, rather than seeking to belong among those who choose the great and spacious building. If we are Christ's, we will not be loved of the world. And if it seems that we are... then enjoy it. For it is as a perfect day: too soon over and never to return.
Do you know this truth, somewhere in the depth of you? Do you feel the witness of truth by the Holy Spirit? Do you know that God would have you speak quietly? Do you see that He would have you do and be so as not to purposefully draw attention to yourself? Do you feel the truth that He would have you clothe yourself with temperance, retraint, and fully covering all of your most special and sacred parts? Do you know the truth? Do you know that God will keep you from evil if you have chosen Christ and desire to be fully His and submit your whole Will to Him? Don't you know that once we are born of God we will always overcome the world, by faith!?!!
Modesty is about our attire. It's about the length of our skirt, the tightness thereof, the choice of pants (again with the tightness thereof), the choice of neckline and the amount of flesh we reveal to the world. It's about the length of our sleeves and the amount of our form that we choose to share with anyone who happens to look. But it's also about the words we use, how we speak them, the decible level we choose to apply when we utter. It's about the way we laugh. All in all, it's about the way we act... who we are. Are we seeking to be seen and noticed of the world? Do we desire that others around us should, us, admire? Are we trying to be pleasers of men? Or is what we do in constant devotion to God? Are we doing and being as we are and do for His glory. That's the question. End of story.
No comments:
Post a Comment