modesty

Embracing True Beauty: A Father’s Reflection

/ Lee A. Robinson / 2 Comments

I am the privileged father of three beautiful girls, now becoming little women. I probably should have written this letter a long time ago, but later is better than never. Among other prayers, my prayer for you is that you would be earnest and thoughtful to develop your own convictions before God in every area of life: striving to please and glorify God in everything, for, “whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). I do hope that you would especially consider the heart and perspective of your parents, since it is God that made you our daughters for a reason, and knowing that our advice comes from a heart unmotivated apart from love and goodwill. So, I love you, and may this advice help you mature and be wise, ultimately leading you to happiness. 

I’m glad to say that without having really used make-up throughout your life each of you have been praised for being beautiful. The Lord did a stellar job (as he always does) at creating each of you distinctly beautiful in your own way. My first hope is that you would recognize that God is the greatest sculptor, and that any attempt to “improve” on his design for you would by default be a failing venture. As these beautiful lyrics explain, “As I look off into the distance, watching the sun roll on by- beautiful colors all around me, painted all over the sky. The same hands that created all of this – they created you and I. What a beautiful God” (Shawn MacDonald). If given the opportunity, would you attempt to paint a more magnificent sunset than the Lord? Would you try to establish a more glorious mountain than he has? No. We would be off somehow: too bold, too bright; not enough subtlety, not enough contrast, etc. The masterful artists simply imitate God’s handiwork well. So it is with you, God made you the very best version of you that you could be. So, believe in his handiwork. You may want to look different than you do, maybe more like some other women, but you will only be at best a 2nd rate imitation of them and lose yourself. God thinks you are the most beautiful just the way you are. 

I’m not yet talking about whether or not you should or shouldn’t wear make-up, or how to handle it if you do. I’m speaking directly to something much deeper. When you go to God in prayer, in the secret place, just you and God, you don’t need make-up or jewelry to feel attractive and to know that you’re loved. You don’t have to alter your appearance to please him. Isn’t that a wonderful truth, that he loves you just the way you are? I pray that this confidence, settledness of heart and peace of mind permeates your spirit, so that when you are in public you also wouldn’t feel compelled to be something more or something different than God made you. I know your mom and I love you with this same kind of love, and my prayer is that you would be surrounded by girl friends and boy friends who love the real you, not a superficial version of you. 1 Samuel 16:7, “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth [which is the correct way to see]; for man [the fleshly, worldly man] looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” Which leads me to my next thought…

The condition of your heart and the quality of your actions is where God defines true beauty, not on the appearance of your skin. “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman without discretion (wisdom, discernment)” (Proverbs 11:22). A strikingly beautiful woman (with or without makeup) with a bad attitude, a bitter spirit or immoral behavior is ugly to God and also ugly to godly people (the people you truly want to be attractive to). In your life right now, if you compare your desire to look outwardly pretty versus being inwardly beautiful, which one weighs heavier on your heart? In all the days you have ahead of you to continue growing up, meet people and go places, I pray that every day your priority would be to have a simple, clean, childlike, joyful and beautiful inside, and afterward be concerned about what needs attention on the outside. It seems to me that the more a woman is insecure in who she is, the more she will want the attention of man over God, which will inevitably lead to more reliance on her flesh in order to feel valuable. A woman who rests in God’s delight of her will have much less of an impulse to embellish her exterior. If she knows she’s already loved and accepted, why would she feel deeply compelled to use her body to try to get the attention of others?   

Every part of Scripture was written with a certain topic in mind. Passages specifically directed towards women often focus on appearance. Your appearance is a big deal to God, to you and to everyone. Think about the cosmetic sections of stores related to women and how little there is relating to men! Haha. So, consider with me a few of the passages directly related to the subject we’re speaking about . . . 

Paul, in giving specific instructions about how to behave in church gatherings, instructs women to “…adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety (respect, being appropriate) and moderation (restraint, avoiding extremes), not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing (flashy, expensive), but, which is appropriate for women professing godliness, with good works.” (1 Timothy 2:9-10). The emphasis for women is to focus on being clothed with good works rather than self attracting clothes or cosmetics. Of all things that could be given as instruction to women in worship, why this admonition? And why for the ladies and not the men? Well, we should first admit that if this is what God put as the challenge, then it must be what women need to hear the most. But then we just turn to experience, which agrees, that so many women – whatever the reason – are so compelled on Sunday morning to show up looking good (attractive). A woman that is strikingly attractive is powerful (yet not in a healthy way), much like a man simply with a lot of money or great influence. 

Let me take a little detour from this passage, but continue speaking directly to this natural temptation that every female faces… Men were created to be builders, hunters, warriors, so their manly instinct is to be pursuers. Women, on the other hand, were created to help a man in his pursuits, so her innate desire to be pursued. Her heart’s desire is to be found by a man. Boys love adventure stories and girls love the love stories. In addition to this, it just so happens that God placed inside of men eyes that really like the way that women look and put in women a deep desire to be looked at, or seen, noticed and pursued. Mix all a dat together and, yes, you got a solid recipe for a smoochie love story, but also for a cunning, devilish plan of temptation. Adam fell ultimately not because the food looked good, but because Eve looked better. He ate the fruit she offered to him. This fine tuned boy/girl romance of pursuer/pursued is mysterious, exciting, fulfilling and very, very dangerous. The reality is that you, my daughter, want to be seen. You need to be seen above all of the rest if one day you’ll be noticed by your prince. Wake up and realize that the Tempter is going to tempt you – with every tool he’s got – to do something ungodly to get this attention that you crave. There is a boy out there right now: God’s first choice for you. There are billions of other young ladies your age. How is he going to find you? With God nothing is impossible. God’s first choice will notice you when he is ready (not before and not after). He is looking for a girl that’s not looking for him, but looking for his God. The Holy Spirit will show him your sweet demeanor, submissive spirit, concealing clothing, and your real face that has the fingerprints of the Master sculptor on it. He won’t recognize you if you have on a worldy costume and a mask. If you unwittingly and unwisely yield to the temptation to attract men before it is time, or in a manner that God isn’t behind, you will attract someone – you’ll attract many actually – but they won’t be God’s first choice. 

Notice a couple places from Scripture that highlight how the ungodly woman uses appearance and cosmetics to attract ungodly men. The book of Proverbs warns young men to not fall into the trap of the strange woman, “Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids” (Proverbs 6:25 ). We can safely assume her “beauty” is not inward beauty or the natural beauty of her face, but rather the embellishment of her body with exotic cosmetics. There’s something she does with her eyelids that baits the simple man. The next chapter warns that she wears the clothes of a prostitute. What does a prostitute typically look like? A very short, tight skirt, high heels, boobs sticking out, thick red lipstick and makeup, an elaborate hairdo all presented with a provocative demeanor. Something like that. Try not to look like a prostitute as much as possible. 2 Kings 9 tells us the story of Jezebel’s death. Jehu was anointed by God to put away evil in Israel and to punish the wicked ruler Ahab and his wife Jezebel. Jezebel knew that Jehu was coming into the city to kill her and what power did she rely on to try to evade her doom? She put on makeup and fixed her hair! She was going to try to seduce him; to use her body to manipulate him into submitting to her, like she always did in her life. Don’t be like her… All of that to say that you are not above this temptation. It will be part of your path. Be aware of your fallen heart and the devil. You can overcome by God’s grace and his Holy Spirit, to be faithful and watch God bring you the right guy, at the right time in the right way.           

Back to the Timothy passage…

He said that women should dress in “modest” clothes. We use this word alot, but I want you to understand more deeply what the idea is, so think about this. One way to understand modesty is to be self-effacing, meaning “drawing attention away from yourself.” It also has the idea of being not excessive or expensive, so an appearance that is plain, simple or humble, some would even say homely. A modest home is one that is not very big or fancy, it’s nice but basic. There’s not really a “wow!” factor when people see it. Immodest dress is less cloth, more skin; it’s goal is to reveal rather than conceal what’s underneath. Modest clothing wants to hide what’s behind there. Modesty is sober, reserved and respectful. Think of a drunk, sloshy, disrespectful and flamboyant woman. Now think of how she is dressed. Now think of a dignified, chaste, serious woman intent on her business. What does she look like? Does all of this seem unfair? Doesn’t it somewhat feel like, “I guess God just wants me to wear a big brown paper bag and never look good!” If so, notice the tug of your heart and how looking good means a lot to you. Wearing a bag though would also be immodest. You can be balanced and simple and yet at the same time pretty. The point is that when people see you it should be your gracious spirit and your good works that are immediately noticed!     

Another related passage is in 1 Peter 3. Again, in giving specific instructions to women, Peter writes, “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands” (1 Peter 3:3-5). What is truly precious to God? A lady with a gentle and quiet spirit, coupled with a submissive demeanor. This type of woman is actively trying to deflect attention, not be the center of it. She is there to serve. This is attractive to God. It is Christ-like. He came into the world quietly, concealed, to serve. Notice also he says that the hidden man of the heart is not corruptible (it doesn’t decay). Cosmetics are superficial. It’s not who you truly are. Your heart is who you truly are and no amount of mascara or blush can cover it up. I’m not saying that makeup is sinful. It can be if you are relying too much on it. But it’s just to make the point that, all things considered, it is completely superficial. It’s not really important when it comes to what defines you as a person.    

One more related Scripture. Read Proverbs 31 about the virtuous woman. The word “virtuous” in 31:10 means “strong or capable.” It is most often used to describe military force, as in “the host of the LORD.” The passage goes on to describe this wonderful woman: the ideal woman, we’ll say. The description is mostly about her works, some about her moral character, but basically nothing about her appearance, except to say metaphorically that “strength and honor are her clothing” (31:25). The passage ends by saying, “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain (fleeting, futile, empty): but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates” (Proverbs 31:30-31). Wisdom doesn’t rely on or prioritize fleeting beauty, instead she is focused on doing good and being good. So, in your life journey of deciding who you are, remember these principles. FOCUS on the heart: guard it, challenge it, wash it and fill it with God’s love for you.

It is true that we live in a world subjected to a curse. The earth bears thorns and the face produces pimples. Man was made to till the ground, to dress and to keep it. Creating, restoring and beautifying is a godly task. So, as a man landscapes his front yard and paints his house to the glory of God, it is a good thing that you would trim your hair and decorate your face to the glory of God. The goal of the carpenter and painter is to achieve natural beauty, restoring and only adding things that complement nature. Your goal (in my opinion) should be to use cosmetics to restore your appearance as much as possible to what God originally intended. I think of our cat Buster, how he is so exotic looking with that deep, sharp black coloring around his eyes. God didn’t make you a cat so don’t try to be like that. I also think about cultures like native tribes who heavily paint their bodies and hide their faces, who also worship animals and desire to have the traits of the animals they worship. We’re not animal worshippers. We worship the one true God who is a Spirit, and if our focus is on him we’ll want to “look” like him, which is purely a spiritual matter. Again, the real value in all of this is mainly on the emphasis. There is nothing inherently sinful about make-up/cosmetics. The earth is the LORD’s and its fullness. It’s what we do with it that matters. It may seem like from this letter that I am against it, but I’m not. I’m against the misuse of it, which I’m sure is going to be a temptation in your life. But I believe that if you internalize deeply what I wrote above and seek to put it into practice, the Holy Spirit and the grace of God will lead you into a balanced and healthy relationship with all cosmetics. I love you. May each of you continue to become more and more beautiful in the days ahead, and may the Lord give you the grace you need to use every self care tool for his glory.

Leggings & Jeggings

/ Lee A. Robinson / 2 Comments

Leggings & Jeggings

Well it’s obvious that leggings, jeggings and related articles of clothing have been the “in-thing” now for a while among women – including Christian women. I personally haven’t heard anyone speak about it Biblically. So, here we go…

My goal for writing this is not to tell you what you should or shouldn’t wear – that is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit, your husband (if you’re married) and your parents (if you’re under their authority), so ultimately you should be in submission to your appropriate Head. My goal here is to help Christians think biblically about Christian modesty and to suggest how Biblical principles may apply to clothing choices, particularly here the wearing of leggings. I write from the perspective of a Christian pastor, teacher, husband and father of three maturing daughters. 

My prayer is that you would have a passionate zeal and commitment to please God above all things – above comfort, trends, your environment, society, the status quo and your own desires. Jesus charged us, “If any man (the same is true for woman) will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) Following Jesus is not always easy or popular – most of the time it is not, but this is what we are called to do, and this is the way to please God. Are you willing to hear and obey the Word of God and the Voice of God in regards to what you wear? 

First, let’s start with the basic question: Is there such a thing as right and wrong dress? Biblically, yes there is, since God instructs women to wear modest apparel (1 Timothy 2:9). So, from God’s perspective there are some clothes that are modest and some that are immodest. God does care about what Christian ladies wear (and of course what men wear as well, but that is not the subject for today). He does approve of some and disapprove of others. It’s not merely a heart issue (although this is central to genuine modesty, we’ll get to that later). Do you agree? Are you willing to confess the fact that there are some articles of clothing that you should not wear – regardless of how you feel about it, your friends feel about it, or how popular it is in the world, or even among the church? I would venture to say (I would hope) that nearly 100% of Christians, who are even remotely concerned about pleasing God, would admit that there are some clothes that would never be permissible to wear (the understanding here is the wearing of clothes in public). For example, would it be acceptable for a woman to wear lingerie underwear in public (assuming that is all she is wearing under the waistline)? O.k. now let’s think…If that is not acceptable, then would it be o.k. for her to simply wear regular underwear? If not, then would it be o.k. for her to wear skin-tight biker shorts? If not, then would it be o.k. for her to wear skin-tight biker pants – or we could call them yoga pants or leggings? Again, I’m not trying to make laws that I think you should obey. What I am trying to point out is this – by what standard are you choosing what you wear? How are you determining what God considers modest or not? Is it merely based on how you feel; or what is comfortable; or what other people think is acceptable? I’m urging you to pause and think deeply about what your rules are. What are the principles that guide you? If you desire to please God, the principles you employ should be Biblical principles. So let’s think about some of those principles and see how they apply.   

#1 Women should wear clothes (and carry a spirit) that are clearly characterized by modesty.     

1 Timothy 2:9-10 “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with reverence and self control; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.”

Christian women are here instructed about what kind of clothes to wear and what kind of spirit to carry. They should wear modest apparel. The word “modest” has the idea of respectable, honorable, appropriate, suitable or moderate. The word modest in english is defined as: dressing or behaving so as to avoid impropriety (being improper) or indecency, especially to avoid attracting sexual attention. So Christian ladies should aim to wear clothes that show respect and honor to themselves and those around them. Are you dressing like a prostitute, or a “loose” woman would? Or would you more so be characterized as “godly?” Christian ladies should wear clothes suitable for a representative of Christ – the Holy One of God; clothes that are not showy or seductive; clothes that are not designed to draw attention to the lady wearing them. In your practice as a Christian woman, is honor and respect at the forefront of your heart and mind as you decide what to put on? Have you meditated on what that means?  

The spirit Christian women should “wear” is reverence and self control. The word reverent may also have the idea modest, or unassuming, mild or self-effacing. Putting these things together, the kind of spirit a Christian woman should carry is that of mildness, meekness, or not flaunting themselves; respectful of the people around them. They should have an air about them, that they are dignified and are in control of their lives and passions. Peter’s description matches Pauls: 1 Peter 3:2-4, “While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear (reverence). Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” 

What kind of spirit do you carry? Are you looking for people to notice you, on the basis of your appearance? Do you crave that people would think that you are attractive? If so, you are carrying the wrong spirit; your priorities are wrong.  

What would you say are some character traits about a woman that would bring true, deep honor to herself, her husband or to her father? It would be things like – purity, wisdom, sobriety, joy, peace, love, diligence, prudence, etc. None of those really meaningful traits of a “wise woman” have anything to do with her clothes or appearance, but are rather character traits. She is a spiritual woman, not a carnal, fleshly woman. “Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.” (Proverbs 31:31) What is your goal – Is it to bring attention to Jesus through your sweet, gentle, unassuming spirit and quietly doing good works in His name? Or is it to bring attention to yourself through striving to be physically attractive and presenting or flaunting your attractive flesh to others?

#2 We should be striving for excellence in every area of our lives. 

1 Corinthians 6:12 “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”

All things are lawful – True Christianity is not following a set of rigid rules. Man-made rules is one of the things that Jesus came to deliver us from. If there is a doctrine or practice that is not clearly defined in Scripture then we are to allow for liberty in our decisions. However, Paul here is teaching that although all things not condemned specifically in Scripture are lawful, all things are not expedient: advantageous or profitable. Not all acceptable practices are the best practices. Not all lifestyles lead us to our desired goal – which is Christ-likeness, holiness. Scripture doesn’t explicitly condemn drinking Coca-Cola, but is it advantageous to drink, especially regularly? The answer is, “No,” which should lead us to the logical conclusion that if excellence in health is your goal, then it is not a good choice. So, there may be some clothes in and of themselves that may not necessarily be sinful, but are they the best choice, the wisest choice? If you desire to be a mature, growing Christian – a vessel of honor – you are being called to more than just not crossing over the line into sin. You are being called to stay far away from the line. “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh…” (Galatians 5:13) Also, 1 Thessalonians 5:21-23, “Prove (examine, test) all things; hold fast that which is good (kalos – beautiful, fine). Abstain (keep away) from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And, Romans 13:14 “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.”

Whatever you would determine is definitely immodest for you to wear (or what is determined for you by your appropriate Head), you should not go one step safer and make that your standard for what you wear, you should be heading at least several steps in the more conservative, modest direction.

So what is your goal in your dress choices? In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor (2 Timothy 2:20-21). Are you striving to be “a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use” or a vessel to dishonor, one that is used for something, but nothing special in comparison to the excellent vessels? If you wear leggings or approve of others wearing them – can you honestly say that they are an excellent choice for women striving to be modest, reverential, non-seductive, and self-effacing in appearance?  

#3 Do your dress choices conflict with what you truly believe is righteous?

1 Corinthians 6:12 “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”

As Christians, we should only be under the control of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). If there is anything else controlling our behavior, then that thing has become sinful to you. If you have an addiction to video games, social media, or to a particular person, those things that are controlling you may not be sinful in and of themselves, but to you they are sinful because they are controlling your life. What is controlling your decisions for what you wear? Is the controlling factor whether you “look good” or not? Is it the current trend? Are you being controlled by comfort, the status quo, or what is acceptable to your friends or community? 

Romans 14:20-23 “Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” In other words: if you don’t have a clear conscience about it, then it is wrong for you to partake of that practice. Just because another Christian wears it, doesn’t mean it is ok for you to. Your Pastor’s wife may wear it; the most godly woman you know may be wearing it, but that should not be your standard. Is it possible that these women could be wrong? Is it possible God is not pleased with the choices they are making? And even if God does approve of it for them, that is not to be the standard for your wardrobe. If you put some clothes on, and there is an inner voice saying to you, “This is not the best option.” Then don’t do it. Don’t wear it. 

I encourage you, next time you’re about to put something on, or you’re trying something on at the store. Pray a simple, but sincere prayer like this, “Father, I know you love me and I can rest assured that ultimately the only attention I need is from you. Is this piece of clothing acceptable to you? Reveal to me the purpose for why I would choose to wear this – Is it so others will notice my body or be drawn to Jesus in me.” 

#4 Is your dress causing a brother to stumble? 

1 Corinthians 8:13 “Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.”

1 Corinthians 10:23-24 “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.”

Men are sexually stimulated visually – very much so. This is demonstrated all through Scripture – David saw bathsheba washing herself; Job 31:1 “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” “Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.” (Proverbs 6:25); Jesus said, “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28) 

Men know this naturally, women for the most part I don’t think realize it as much. There doesn’t have to be any kind of emotional attachment whatsoever involved. If the right body parts advertise themselves in the right way it is a temptation for men to think the wrong things. Men’s eyes are drawn to a woman’s body as gravity pulls downward. God created women to be beautiful and attractive, and he created men to be attracted to them, so it is on purpose; and within the sanction of marriage it is an awesome and blessed experience. However, we are a fallen race, and tend to do things in inappropriate ways, and at inappropriate times, which means that we need to be on our guard against doing anything that would fuel the fires.  

Ladies also need to understand that in our particular generation, male minds are so bombarded with sexual perversion through the internet and media’s use of pornography. There is an almost absolute saturation of our culture with sexual perversion. It may depend somewhat on your particular society, but its likely that many of the men that you know are probably regularly watching pornography. That means that their heads are already in the gutter. If men are regularly conditioning their mind to think sexually about other women, they are going to do the same with you. Do you want to encourage them to do so, or discourage them from doing so? Your choice of dress will determine that (not whether they choose to lust or not, but rather that your choice of dress will determine whether you are encouraging them to lust or not).  

Men are ultimately responsible for their eyes and thoughts. And thank God, that with the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, the strengthening of accountability, and for the benefits of marriage, men have the ability, with God’s help, to avoid the temptation and sin of sexual lust. Notwithstanding, Paul makes it clear, “All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.” There was disagreement in Paul’s time as to whether some meats should be eaten by Christians or not because there was meat that was being sold in the market that had been offered in sacrifice to idols. There was also the consideration of the Mosaic law that forbade the eating of certain meats under the old covenant. But the point is that there were some things that Paul simply would not eat (even though he didn’t have a conviction against it) because of his consideration of other brethren. It was more important that Paul serve the brethren and protect their conscience, than for him to enjoy his liberty. 

So are you willing to exercise humility and Christian love, to tailor your outfits so as to do everything in your power to discourage another brother from looking at you with lust in his heart? If you are not willing to do this, and your attitude is, “Men just need to get their minds out of the gutter.” Then you are sinning. They are responsible for their minds; but just as much- you are responsible for your appearance. This is like husbands talking rough to their wives and saying, “You just need to toughen up girl and let it go.” that would be sinful for a husband to not be considerate and gentle with his wife, for her sake. 

However, if your heart is to please God and to serve your brother, I encourage you to ask at least three mature, godly, spiritually minded Christian men that you know and trust (may be a pastor, husband, brother, or anyone) and ask them if your dress would at all be fall into the category of attracting or suggesting sexual attention. Some general considerations would be – the more skin that is showing the more likely it is seductive; the tighter it is the more likely it is seductive (which you cannot be more tight than most leggings); the more your body parts are clearly defined through your clothes the more seductive it is. The fact that they are called “leggings” indicates that it’s basically your legs that are showing, with a different color over them.

“Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.” Yes, men do look on the outward appearance, which is why you have the responsibility to accommodate your brother, in genuine Christian love, so as to discourage them from utilizing your body to fulfill their sinful lusts. 

#5 The Special Call for Modesty in the Assembling of God’s Church.

 Every verse in the Bible has a specific context, and that context is of utmost importance in determining the right interpretation and proper application of the passage. We must emphasize what God emphasizes, in the context that God emphasizes them, while deemphasizing the things God does not emphasize, in the contexts God does not emphasize them. For example: in the context of marriage, husbands are commanded to love their wives, whereas wives are commanded to respect their husbands. Of course, husbands should respect their wives, and wives should love their husbands. But, there is a reason (a divinely wise reason) why God emphasized the particular commands to the particular people in this particular circumstance. We don’t even really need to know why (although I believe there are always good reasons for why God commands what He does, to whom He does), we just need to make sure that we focus on doing what He says with the emphasis in which He says to do it. 

It just so happens that the premier verses relating to women, modesty and clothing are in the specific context of how to behave in the local, gathered Church. It’s almost to say, “Christian women- daughters of God- above all things, when you come to the gathering of the church, make sure above all things that you are not dressing or presenting yourself in a way that is going to be a hindrance to the assembly. Jesus is supposed to get all of the attention. DO NOT come in a way that will avert the attention of others (especially men), away from Jesus to you.” Yes, every believer is responsible for all of the commands of God when they gather with the church, however, there is a definitively special weight of importance given to women about their appearance as they come to worship. 

Why do you think that above all things, when God gives specific instructions for women, how to behave in church, He centers His instructions directly on modesty? To me it seems that God knows that this is an area, or perhaps the area, in which the greatest weakness lies – women desire to be attractive, and especially when many people are gathered together, there is the felt-need to be accepted and loved. If there is any place that women feel the need to be “worthy” it would be in the assembly of God’s people. Add to this that the Devil knows that the church gathering is prime time for his scheming and strategizing so as to make as much of a distraction as possible. And as a result there is the temptation to dress inappropriately, or immodestly. Church of all places is not the place for showing off. Christian women should take this command very, very seriously. 

It is very disheartening to me when I see women coming into Church obviously wearing seductive clothes. More men than you think do not like it- even the men who struggle with sexual lust in their thinking. Godly men are coming to church, hoping to escape the world along with its lusts, and yet they have to be on guard, in battle mode, even while attempting to worship God in His own house. This ought not to be. If there in one place where there ought to be no question at all from anyone about whether you are dressed immodestly, it is in the house of God. Dear sister, are you sure that you are giving the proper emphasis to this command in your life in regards to how you dress for church? 

I hope these five principles have been helpful to you. Perhaps this was more of a meditation on modesty in general, but I hope you are able to apply these things in regards to leggings. My personal opinion is that pretty much all leggings, worn solo under the waist, are at best a compromise of excellence in Christian modesty for women, and at worst sinful and seductive. You are not obligated to agree with my opinions, but I hope you have considered about this subject prayerfully and thoughtfully and are able to articulate with a clear conscience how you are in agreement with God and the principles He has laid out in His Word. May Jesus be pleased with all his people, and may we be a holy church, without spot, without wrinkle or any such blemish.