Women: Put some clothes on!

"likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works."

“Women should adorn themselves” or as the NIV puts it “dress themselves.” We can stop right there for now. I don’t think most women have read this in their Bibles. Please, women, dress yourselves.

We cannot go anywhere in today’s culture, even to church, where we don’t see women wearing inappropriate clothing. To the women: stop wearing skin-tight clothing that flaunts everything you have, stop wearing skirts too short , stop wearing shirts with necklines that show off your clevage, stop wearing shorts so short that your butt is hanging out the bottom. Please, listen to Paul, “dress yourself”, put some clothes on. As Ligon Duncan says:

I want to urge you to think long and hard about what you wear: blouses that are skin-tight and reveal everything; midriffs bared; diving necklines; skirts that are way too short or worn way too low. We need to think about dressing modestly and discreetly. It starts, Dad and fathers, with you. You should say to your wives, or to your daughters...they’re getting ready to go out in something they ought not go out in, and you’ll know, dad and father, “You’re not going out in that.” On the other hand, wives and daughters, it ought to be a desire on your part—perhaps it’s with your husband, perhaps it’s with other godly friends whose judgment you trust—to ask them the question: “Is this modest and discreet?” I want it to be beautiful and attractive, but I also want to be modest and discreet. Does this fit the bill? You ought to be approaching your husbands and fathers, instead of dreading them sharing their opinions. You ought to be inviting them, because it ought to be your desire to dress modestly and discreetly.

We have a huge problem with sexuality in our culture. It is entirely too free and too flaunted. Sexuality is a beautiful thing. Within the context of marriage, the ability of the husband to enjoy the wife and vice versa is one of the greatest privileges that God has given us. But God did not expect that to be shown and shared with every human being who you pass on the street. You are to be modest and discreet in the way you dress. Invite godly friends, sisters and brothers in Christ, to help you dress in such a way that you honor the Lord. Paul is saying that there is a right way to dress and a wrong way to dress. He’s not saying that it’s all just subjective and in the eye of the beholder. There is a way that a person can dress, and it sends one message, and there’s a way that a person can dress and it sends another message. Paul is saying in this passage, “instead of aspiring to be seductive and provocative in the way we dress, let us adorn ourselves instead with a beautiful character and life.

So often today we hear that women do not want to be treated as objects or as pieces of meat but want to be treated with respect and dignity. To the women: if you want to be treated with respect and dignity then dress with respect and dignity. Do not expect to be treated with respect and dignity when you are flaunting what God gave you to anyone who wants to have a look. Stop wearing the low cut shirts and short skirts, start dressing yourselves with dignity and it will be given to you.