I am not going to write about modesty. I feel like it’s important to clarify that, in case you thought I was going there because of the title of this post. I’m all for modesty but I’m sure you, like many others, have grown weary of people telling you to dress like a nun because it’ll be fun. However, this post is about the way God wants us to dress. To be honest, it is more important than the clothes we wear.
What we wear on the inside matters more to Him than what we wear on the outside.
I’ve been discovering a lot of scriptures this year that include words like put on, adorn, clothe, etc. that have all to do with our inward appearance. I think it’s easy to get so focused on how we appear on the outside to people that we lose sight of the way we clothe our inner self. You can wear all the right “modest” clothing in the world, and still be a grumpy, mean, ugly person on the inside. Not enough makeup in the world can cover-up the heart…
“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7
So how exactly are we supposed to dress on the inside?
I’m going to share the verses God brought me to this year and from there, I encourage you to take 5 minutes to read through them and ask God to help you to live this out in your life.
Although, I will be honest with you. When I first read some of these verses, I was like, “Okay #ChristianLifeGoals, but wow, I’m so not there yet.” Listen, maybe that’s you too. I don’t want you reading these verses thinking this is God putting all the pressure and responsibility on you to live a righteous life. That’s not it at all. Something I’ve learned is that we need God to live like God.
The Spirit God gave us is meant to transform us. Just as being around a certain group of people can begin to influence the way you dress and behave on the outside, spending time with the Holy Spirit is going to change you on the inside. It restructues our nature, redefines our identity, and performs one of the greatest miracles we have the pleasure of witnessing: our lives becoming more like Christ from the inside-out.
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
John 14:26
Through the Bible, the Father has given us a map and is saying to us, “Listen, Love, here’s my Word, here’s my Holy Spirit, your guides to life. 
On your own, you have no idea how to live like Me, because you need to know more about Me first if you want to become more like Me. But there is hope. Here is my Spirit, it’s a free gift if you want it. My Son made a way for you to know me, and to have the grace to walk in love, righteousness, power, and self-discipline. If you want to live like me, you need Me, and I am with you. Do not be afraid.”
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the light and we cannot live like Him without His Spirit. So first, if you don’t know if you have the Holy Spirit, or you have never asked God for His Spirit before, take a moment and ask Him to fill you with His Spirit. You don’t need any pastor or “special” person to walk you through this. It’s between you and God; you need only ask (Luke 11:11-13).
How God Wants Us To Dress:
“Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.”
1 Peter 3:3-4
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Colossians 3:12-17
“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
Ephesians 6:13-18
“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.”
1 Timothy 2:9-10
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these, the wrath of God is coming. In these, you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”
Colossians 3:5-10
“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
Romans 13:14
Homework for you:
- What are some other verses you know that speak to us about how God wants us to clothe ourselves?
- The next time you have quiet time with God, ask Holy Spirit to show you what you need to “put to death” in your life and where you need to “put on the Lord”. Listen and wait on Him, and don’t be afraid of the truth. It will set you free. :)
Thank you for reading this post! I’m praying it would encourage you to walk with the Holy Spirit.
With all my love,
Katya
p.s. I thought you might like this little poem:
When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world.
I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation.
When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn’t change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family.
Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world.