A Warning for the "Modest"

The following is cut-and-pasted from Nancy Leigh DeMoss's radio program "Revive Our Hearts" from June 2, 2005: "Candles and Gunpowder."

I thought it was so important that we lay a foundation of understanding because I find that a lot of Christians are just clueless. They really haven't been trained, they haven't been taught. Let's be careful not to be too hard on those who have not been trained, not been discipled.

Before we point fingers and criticize and judge in our hearts, let's say, "What can I do to encourage this woman in her walk with the Lord?" Then remember that modesty starts in the heart. It's a heart issue before it's a clothing issue. Remember that, moms, when you're trying to get your daughters to dress modestly, don't start with the clothing issues. It's a good way to alienate your kids, and some of you can remember back to when you were a kid and how you were alienated by maybe a parent who was thinking more about externals than about the heart.

...from June 6, 2005: "What is Immodest?"

Let me just say, women, it's not our place, our right, our responsibility to criticize and condemn other women who may not realize these truths, even women in your church. There are some non-Christian women in many of our churches or new believers who've never been trained; they've never been discipled. Don't, just because you've got your long skirt and your high blouse and your long sleeves on, don't sit there, be smug, and think, "I'm so thankful I'm modest, and I can't believe all these women are so immodestly dressed in our church."

Listen, if learning all this makes you critical or hostile or angry toward others rather than compassionate and tender-hearted, then you don't have the spirit of modesty. The spirit of modesty is the spirit of humility, purity, and self-control. It means that you want to come alongside of and love other women who need to be educated and taught and mentored in these areas.

(Prayer) Thank you that no other woman is the standard, but Your Word is the standard. So help us to know how to take those principles and how to apply them, and then how to live them out. Not that we might be prudes or negative shriveled up old women, but that we'd be women filled with joy and the spirit that's radiant and attracts people to us because they're being attracted to You for all the right reasons.