The Beauty of Modesty

Jesus taught His disciples a fundamental principle when He said, “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16). What is in the heart will often be manifested in observable areas of our lives, including our appearance. “Dress is an index of the mind and heart. That which is hung upon the outside is the sign of what is within” (Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 1, p. 289).

In the Christian church today we hear very little of what the Bible says about dress and appearance, not because the subject is minor or unimportant, but because the choice of what to wear is highly personal. This makes it a subject that is not always welcome. For many, to allow Jesus into the area of their outward appearance would be to allow Him deeper into their hearts than ever before.

We must remember that our value is not found in how we look or what we wear, but in who we are as children of God. The Christian finds worth and security in the One who says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3). Rather than dressing to draw attention or to gain acceptance with the world, the Christian is to “put on” Christ and “make no provision for the flesh” (Romans 13:14).