Is modesty and art? I don't know. What I do know is that it is definitely something that is lost or being lost in our society today.
I did a quick search for the definition of the type of modesty I'm talking about and guess what? they've even put it in the 'Old Fashioned' category.
noun [U] (CLOTHES/BEHAVIOUR)
old-fashioned
the quality, in women, of dressing or behaving in a way that is intended to avoid attracting sexual interest
There's no place that highlights the opposite of modesty than in the gym.
I understand the issues that women face with clothing and training. Anything too big can get in your way or get soaked with sweat. We need something that can hold us in the right places, is lightweight so we're not carrying extra weight and is breathable. Clothes that completely cover you can make you incredible uncomfortable as your body temp increases when you exercise. On a hot day the last thing you want to be is fully covered so over time ladies have been wearing less and less and less and the clothing we do wear has gotten tighter and tighter and super skin tight.
Comfort over modesty is something I think we all juggle with but I seriously wonder if, ladies, you're actually comfortable wearing that low impact sports bra and those gym shark short shorts?
I have to admire women who need to cover up for cultural or religious reasons and no matter the weather they still maintain their commitment to exercising.
On one level I'm like..but it's not that deep however I think, with modesty, it really does boil down to your morals.
Women go to the gym for various reasons, but i'm sure it's unanimous that we're all in there because we want to feel better about ourselves in our bodies. But does that really have to be at the expense of our modesty?
Whether old fashioned or not this is something that we as women do that feeds into the sexual objectification of women and especially in a place that is predominantly male dominated, how can we expect to be taken seriously when this is how we present ourselves?
We are more, so much more than our bodies. Feeling good about ourselves does not and should not originate or revolve around our sexual attractiveness. Let me say that again ladies, feeling good about yourself should not only come from when you "look good" or get compliments. That is a very shallow well of self-confidence because we don't always look good, and compliments are so conditional. I believe how you feel about yourself is directly linked with your morals and what you are willing to compromise on.
As a christian there aren't a bunch of rules about what I can or cannot wear because what goes on on the outside is no where near as important as what's happening on the inside of you. I've been the girl who dressed to intentionally entice men sexually and in a way to "keep the compliments flowing", I know that my choices about how I presented myself did something to me. I may have looked good but I felt horrible on the inside.
So I stopped compromising on my morals and my confidence well grew deep because how I felt was no longer dependent on what others thought about me, instead it became anchored in the truth about who I am.
Wonderfully made, loved, cherished, righteous, holy, perfect - all these because of Jesus Christ in me. It doesn't matter what I look like, or what anyone say's or doesn't say to me, these things will never change and my confidence well continues to go deeper the more of these truths I believe. How awesome is that?!
