Modesty - Men and Boys

By Jerry Price - Apr 3, 2006 - comment

“Your are…a reflection of what you wear; or vice versa, what you wear is a reflection of you. Guys who wear supertight jeans and short speedo-type shorts send one message to girls who see them: He’s sure trying to flaunt himself, isn’t he? Unbuttoned shirts and a refusal to wear anything but tank tops or T-shirts with cut-off sleeves send the same message: He must really think he’s impressing us with those muscles and those two chest hairs…Loose dress reveals a loose heart. Whatever is on the inside will eventually come out…Guys, if you’re constantly thinking about showing off parts of your body to a girl, you’ll eventually try to do just that.”

Greg Johnson and Susie Shellenburger, What Hollywood Won’t Tell You About Sex, Love and Dating (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1994), 66.

“Our bodies should be covered with modest clothing, so that we can be a compelling witness for Christ (see 1 Timothy 2:9-10). We should not strive to be the center of attention or draw our significance from special markings or expensive clothes. Our bodies were formed in the womb to be God’s servants (Isaiah 49:5). And serving God is a full-time occupation…Can a bodybuilder use his body for the ‘glory of God’? Depends. One such young man said, ‘I had to give up bodybuilding because I knew the reason I did it was to attract attention to myself, not to glorify God.’”

Erwin W. Lutzer, Who Are You to Judge? (Chicago: Moody Press, 2002), 171.

“You [girls] can help guys in their fight against lust by being aware of just how aware guys are of your body. Rarely a moment goes by when a guy isn’t aware of your body. And you don’t have to have a cover model’s body for this to be true . . . When I say that guys are always aware of your body, I’m not implying that they’re always lusting after any woman they’re with (although this is possible). I mean that in any interaction with a woman, a healthy man is aware that you’re a woman and that you have a body his sinful desires would love to lust after. A Christian man seeking to resist lust never reaches a state where he’s unaware of a female’s body. He just learns to actively choose not to stare. So a godly Christian guy really does (or really should) want to view you as a sister and maintain eye contact—not ‘eye to something else’ contact. But when you wear clothing that accentuates, draws attention to, or highlights the feminine parts of your body, it’s like wearing a flashing neon sign pointing to the very thing he’s trying not to be consumed with. Sure, guys can resist the temptation to lust, and it’s our responsibility to do so, but your dressing immodestly makes this very difficult.

“I know that talking about flashing neon signs might make this sound like a joke. But immodesty really isn’t funny . . . The way you dress can either help or hinder the men around you who are trying to resist lust.”

Joshua Harris, Not Even a Hint (Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers, Inc., 2003), 90-92.

Further Learning

Learn more about: Family, Sexual Purity, Modesty

Post a Comment




Notify me of follow-up comments?

Before You Submit Your Comment (below), Read This:

Thank you for your interest in the ministry of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (SBC).

Comments are moderated to preserve the family-oriented nature of this website and in an attempt to avoid comment spam. We welcome opposing viewpoints, and we will not turn comments away as long as your views are presented with respect to everyone.

Your comments will not appear immediately and are subject to editing or deletion. We will make every attempt to check new comments in a timely manner, though there will likely be delays on the weekends and around holidays.

Please follow the these guidelines to insure your comments will be posted:

  1. Use a real name, at least a real first name. We find folks are less-rude online when not hiding behind a screen-name.
  2. Name-calling and vulgar-language will not be tolerated. Zero-tolerance is our policy. We will not spend time editing profanity. If it contains foul language, your post will be deleted. Oh, and we decide what is and what is not vulgar.
  3. Comments must be on topic. General comments (compliments, complaints, and otherwise) are best delivered here or expressed on your own personal Web site.
  4. And please, do not type in ALL CAPS. It looks like you're screaming at people.

Additionally, within Baptist polity, please recognize that many issues and decisions are addressed at a local church level. SBC denominational (national) offices have no control and desire no control over the activities of a local church. This entity is not responsible for overseeing and insuring the ethical behavior of Southern Baptist pastors or church members. If your concern involves a legal civil or criminal matter, we suggest you contact the proper local officials.

Issues involving pastoral staff or other church members, local Baptist associations or state Baptist conventions are local issues. Therefore the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission cannot and should not address such issues. While we regret we are unable to assist you, we encourage you to seek a biblical resolution of the issue at the local church level. If your question or submission pertains to a matter covered in this text, it is likely we will not acknowledge your submission.

Other than that, we welcome you and hope to see thoughtful discussions at ERLC.com