The Puritans who spawned our American love affair with Victorian ideals would be rollin’ in their grave in 1943 when two Frenchman, Jacques Heim and Louis Reard, created the bikini. Prior to their artistic creations, women wore a variation of a culottes in dress form [I can’t believe I mentioned culottes. Sorry, I’m from the 90s.]
Since then it’s been a cultural battle to expose more and cover less.
Don’t believe me? While in France two years ago, I sat on a public beach with my sister and brother-in-law feeling like a PRUDE because I was in one-piece swimsuit on a topless beach. Yes, topless. It wasn’t a special beach for the nude, it’s the culture. But that didn’t mean I would join the party, if you know what I’m sayin’.
With that being said, modesty is more than what we wear. It’s a condition of our heart. I’ve seen immodest women fully covered yet exude coquettish, flirtatious, and sexual behavior around men. Modesty is deeper than our attire.
And if you see me at the beach and think my swimsuit high enough in the chest or low enough at the bottom, I’m blaming the French! 😉
- Where are you from and what is acceptable?
- Does your culture contradict the instructions of parents, spouses, or friends who tell you to put more clothes on?
- How do YOU handle the issue of modesty?
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I agree with your In The Name Of Love » Blog Archive » vlog: leave it to the french…, fantastic post.
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ey, i stumbled on your video, i will need to point out something to you, ” if your left eye is tempting you throw it out” i am a guy, modest for me is a lot in a girl, i have to disagree on some swimsuits, I cant let my self go to a gym or a beach or swiming pool because some girls will put on couple of string and call it a s swimsuit. I am speaking for most of the guys, if a girl walks by in a bikini and i get a thought thrown in my head, she becomes mostly guilty for doing it. Most guys naturally will do that regardless they want to or not. If your clothes sexually tempt others, be aware. Wife suppose to save her body and beauty for husband not for anyone else. Africa? thats why we as christian teach others, were light, some tribes have sex fastivals, are we suppose to ignore that? God is same in alaska or a beach, so is modesty so are humans. LOL bikinis in church, that kind of made me laugh, woman are representetives of Christ as well as man, as i said because of some woman, i cant let my self go to some places , or put my head down or turn away or something,,, were guys .. what do you expect? u have to be one to know one… just pointing out, have a great day 🙂
Loved your insight! Thanks, Roman 🙂
hey I love your insight. I lead a girls ministry and I think it is very important to emphasis that modesty starts in your intentions. this part is too often overlooked. focusing purely on the outward leads to allot of insecurities for girls. I know this from personal experience. when a girl is told to cover her legs, cover her shoulders, cover her neck … because her body will lead to sexual sin, how else is she suppose to feel about her body except shame? too many modesty talks create problematic views for self-image.
and also, for Romans comment:
You started your quote with a scripture that directs sexual sin. it says that is your eye causes you to sin you are to gauge it out. that is putting the ownership on the onlooker not the one being looked at. Roman I would like to encourage you to take up the fight against sexual sin, instead of putting it all on your sisters in the faith. because even if Christian girls dress to your standards girls in the secular world will continue dressing however they please. and by putting all the blame on girls you are not acting in love but hate.
remember roman, that scripture dosn’t say if your eye is causing you to sin, cover up whatever you are looking at. It says to gouge out your eye. You can learn to control yourself, and as a man of God you can do this.
two really amazing books on the subject:
for men: wild at heart
for women: captivating
Thanks so much, Jasper! Your words are so kind.
Just a note about Captivating! I have read the book and in the past I have misapplied some of the points in it so whenever I refer it to someone I say to “read it with a grain of salt because some things can easily be misapplied”. It’s still my favorite book of that genre that I have read, but I might just give you a warning that as a leader of a girls’ ministry you might want to use your influence to guide girls through that read and to not use the controversial aspects of using your feminine beauty as an excuse or even a reason to dress immodestly. (If I questioned if my outfit was immodest I often missapplied parts of that book to justify wearing it.)
God bless you do ministry into girls’ lives! And thank you for encouraging one of our brothers in Christ to take some of his own initiative alongside ours!
<3
Hey, I checked out the video log and think it’s good to not judge others based on your culture. However, in the realm of what God wants us doing, I have one question: Do God’s standards change with the culture (did He adapt what He was okay with in Sodom?)
As a male I have to say that modesty should be less of a social issue than it should a practical one. The male body reacts to different body parts. Swimsuits generally give a good idea of what a woman looks like naked. One piece or two piece, I can see the breasts, the buttocks, and the legs of a woman without even trying. These are the parts of a woman that cause sexual attraction and in many cases arousal in a male. It’s just how we’re made. Societal standards may be different between a pool and answering the door in your underwear and a bra, but the male body is not.
In discussing modesty it’s important to remember that males are constantly bombarded with sexual images. I literally can’t go to a target or giant or 711 without seeing a magazine with the words “sex” or some kind of innuendo and then a woman in a bathing suit or provacative dress and pose. Don’t get me started on movies, music, TV, etc. Lust is an epidemic in our country because our societal standards have promoted immodesty. Everything entertainment is flash and show what you’ve got, and entertainment pretty much runs things. As the old slogan goes: “sex sells”
I guess my question to the ladies reading would be: Do you want to be part of that epidemic?
Think about the brothers. Act in love. Sometimes we have to inconvenience ourselves for the sake of others.
In love,
All Light NoBushel
I agree with you that modesty is a cultural norm. The pertinent question is, “In which culture do you live?” Do you live in the US culture, the Nairobi culture or the Kingdom of God (KOG)culture? In the KOG culture your concern is not focused on you but on me. Revealing your body to me proveks lust. I can’t help it. InAdam & Eve’s day, before sin, they walked around naked and were not ashamed because sin and lust were not in the world. We are incapable of comprehending that. None of us has ever lived in that world. Now sin and lust are always present.
Women have the power to destroy men with their bodies because sin and lust are here. Help us out as much as your heart allows. Don’t destroy a brother, for whom Christ died, just so you can be “hot” or maybe cooler. Modesty comes from a heart of real love not from a legalistic religious heart. God made your body for your husband to enjoy…not me.