What are you wearing?

When was the last time that you thought of jewelry and hair when someone mentioned the topic of modesty? Apparently both the Apostle Paul and the Apostle Peter thought of those two things, as well as clothing, when admonishing the women to keep it reeled in.

Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2: 9 that women ought to "adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation…." and he specifically mentions the flagrant violations: "not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing…"

Then Peter has the same three things in mind when he tells the women to remember they are supposed to be pretty on the inside, not just on the outside: "Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel…" (1 Peter 3:3).

When we think of adorning ourselves modestly and with a gentle and quiet spirit, it means we have thought through more than just our clothes. We've considered our hairstyle and our jewelry as well. What does the world want us to do with our hair? What does the world want us to do with jewelry? These things apparently matter because we have two apostles mentioning all three things in two different passages addressed to women.

When we think world-viewishly about music and literature and marriage and children, that is good. But we must not neglect to work it into these other areas as well. What is the world trying to get us to wear? Why? What do these things mean? What does God think about them? Why does the world care? The world wants to get Christian women to wear whatever the current uniform is for hair, jewelry, and clothing. Chances are always pretty good that said uniform will not be modest (or appropriate or moderate). God wants us to wear something else.