Blog/Apologetics: What is Modesty and Why is it Important?

Last year or so, I posted an article about Maddy Dodd (Bryce Crawford’s now wife) and how she is not reflective of Christian modesty. In fact, many of her Instagram and TikTok posts that she had up while dating Bryce (which, to her credit seem to have been taken down for the most part last I checked since she got married) were the antithesis of what could be called modest. We’re talking skimpy bikinis, those skin-tight workout pants that are designed to give you a wedgie, short skirts, etc. This led to a few comments in my comment section about modesty and what it means to be modest. I answered most of them and haven’t gotten any since.

However, over the past few weeks, it has come to my attention that apparently Bryce Crawford’s fan base is now kind of split because of Maddy’s clothing style, amongst other things. Some people are saying that Maddy is hurting Byrce’s ministry, that he fell into lust by marrying her, etc.

Thus, while this video isn’t going to be talking about the Maddy Dodd controversy, I instead think that it does open up a good conversation to have before summer about what the Christian view of modesty is and why it’s important not just for women, but also for men.

Modesty in the Bible is mostly a spiritual thing. That much is true, and the most common verses cited on this are 1 Timothy 2:9-10, 1 Peter 3:3-4, and Proverbs 31:30. While the point of these verses is basically that what’s in your heart is more important than what you wear, to say that this gives you free reign to wear whatever you want is not correct.

Think about it. How we present ourselves physically can often be a good indicator of our character and beliefs. True, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but sometimes what’s outwardly presented lines up with what’s inside. And as humans, we certainly will judge by what’s on the outside.

For example, if you were going somewhere and you saw a person walking around with a pentagram necklace, the last thing you would think is that they’re a Christian. Heck, if you’re a Christian reading this, even you identify as goth, you likely wouldn’t be running with pentagrams on your clothes because it’s not a representation of your belief in Christ. Instead, it’s strongly associated with the occult, which is the opposite of what you want to endorse.

In that same vein, as a Christian, you shouldn’t wear super revealing clothing such as miniskirts, G-strings, etc. because it’s not a good representation of what you believe. We live in a culture where everything is hypersexualized, especially the clothes. And as with the example of the pentagrams, what you wear sends a message. If you are wearing something that makes you look like the type of girl that has a body count nearing double digits, does that seem like a good representation of Christ living in you?

We’re called to be ambassadors for Christ, which means that we shouldn’t be setting up roadblocks for people to stumble over when explaining what we believe. Just like how you wouldn’t wear a pentagram when witnessing to people or be wearing a ton of stone jewelry when talking to New Agers, you shouldn’t be wearing stuff that is meant to look uber sexy while also saying that you’re a Christian and representing Christ.

On that note, we’re also called not to cause others to fall into sins, like lust. I understand that even with modesty, lust will always be an issue (you could be wearing a full burqa, and someone would still probably be creepy) but that doesn’t mean that we should give them more reason to stare by showing off more things. Ladies shouldn’t be having their boobs and butts hanging out. Men shouldn’t be trying to accentuate similar areas down south.

Now, I’m not saying that we all need to go the Muslim modesty route, or the Amish modesty route, or anything like that. What I’m asking is that the Christian ladies be more conscientious about what they’re wearing (since, let’s face it, we have more to cover up) and the men also do that. Ladies, if it’s a low-cut shirt or something, wear a jacket. Men, don’t wear super skinny jeans like Carl Lentz. And overall, for everyone reading this, wear something that’s cute that you’re comfortable in, but doesn’t make you look trashy. It’s not that hard.

Until next time,

M.J.