Winter Wear

"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."*

My favourite season in winter. There are a few reasons for this. One, the cool weather justifies eating lots of warm food and staying indoors with a good book!! Two, you can wear lots of interesting layers and clothes!

My theory (and probably a few other like minded people) is that one can always put another layer on, but one can only take so many layers off!!! I am glad that I am not in Australia at the moment. They are having a particularly hot summer. The dilemma I am thankful to avoid is; when do comfort and modesty clash? And which one should and/or does win out?

Comfort, on a hot summer day (~40 degree Celsius), is sitting in the shade beside a pool or the beach, preferably with a cool drink or ice cream. The more  clothes one wears in such a situation, the more uncomfortable one feels!

In such situations, modesty is abandoned, I believe. Then again, some may say that my definition of modesty is what is faulty... Not societies. Before you decide either way, please hear me out and think about it for a few days.

Modesty, defined by Dictionary.com, is the freedom from vanity, and a regard for decency of behaviour, speech and dress. To be modest is to have a moderate estimate of one's importance.** I have two things I would like to point out.  

One, a regard for decent behaviour. As a woman, I feel this especially keenly. I like to dress well, and I like to be admired for how I dress. But I also don't like the idea of it consuming my life. There is a passage in the Bible which talks about modesty and has been challenging my ideas on how to dress and view myself (especially as a woman)...

"...dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God."***

I would like to devote energy and time into doing good deeds over worrying about what I am wearing.

I feel a lot of pressure from society to adorn myself, have elaborate hairstyles, wear expensive jewellry and clothes... or wear certain clothes to match the latest fashion, in swimwear or skinny jeans, in heels or make up. Is it wrong to dress differently than the way other people do? Why does it feel so wrong not to conform? Yet, is there a problem with the ideals that the media and advertising and fashion propagate for how to dress? What are they leading towards, what are they suggesting about who women are, and how much we are worth?

And second, a healthy understanding of your self worth. It is hard to withstand the pressure to impress with how we dress if we have a low self esteem and low self worth. For me, I know I need to work on my self worth. When I get down with my appearance I take comfort in remembering that I have a Creator and Designer for a God. Who formed me in my mothers womb.**** Who has a plan for me to prosper me, give me a hope and a future.***** And I am His handiwork... There is a reason why I am the way I am the way I am. A reason why I am my height, with my skin tone, and my hair colour, my body shape, etc. I just don't know or understand it right now.

I hope that knowing how precious I am in His sight, not only the inside -my good deeds and worship-, but also the outside -my decency and propriety- will impact how I dress. And hopefully I won't feel too out of place when I do dress with modesty. Because I don't think it should be something to be ashamed of! I guess it is really hard because of the social pressure to conform, and societies ideal of beautify: "less clothes the better"! I want to dress with modesty no matter the season. It's just easier in winter.

*Ephesians 2:10
**Dictionary.com 'Modesty' and 'Modest'
***1 timothy 2:9-10
****Psalm 139:13
*****Jeremiah 29:11