Let me begin by saying that I am so proud to call myself a woman in today's day and age. We have made vast strides toward equality, and while we still have a way to go, there has never been a better age to be a woman. Today, there are so many movements going on towards empowering women, and that's awesome! We are all equal in the eyes of God, and women should be joyful in themselves, for we are all fearfully and wonderfully made. Still, I wonder if empowerment itself is a good thing, regardless of gender.
It is my humble opinion that the virtue of modesty is disappearing in our culture today. Hollywood teaches us that it is audacious to think that women, or even a man, should cover up. The narrative you hear in society is that you should wear what you want no matter what because it isn't your responsibility how others look at you. While it is definitely our responsibility as a society to teach men to be held accountable for their actions and that women are not sexual objects, it's almost scandalous to go against modern culture and wear a little more clothing. Those that choose to dress and act modestly are often accused of fostering a sexist attitude by supposedly not holding men accountable for the way they see women. I don't think this could be further from the truth. Modest dress should not be seen as "helping the men," but as humbly choosing to dress in a way that doesn't draw attention to oneself.
I don't think it's a bad thing to cover up. The way I see it, modesty isn't just about hiding skin. It's about hiding our hearts, not allowing a boisterous attitude to surface and nurturing a meek and mild spirit. I don't think it's just for women, either. I think a modest spirit is an honorable virtue for every man, woman, and child to strive to uphold. Modesty, to me, is knowing when to keep your thoughts to yourself. It's a humble attitude and a gentle voice. It's how you converse with others and how you conduct your daily life. It's an attitude that speaks the words, "It's not all about me."
I would venture to say that 99 percent of American culture is centered on the self. No wonder there are so many issues with our society today. How can we be focused on doing good and helping out our neighbor if all we are worried about is boosting our own self-esteem and empowering ourselves? How about we try to empower our friends, or boost the self-esteem of our neighbor? Modesty is all about focusing less on ourselves and immersing our lives in the service of others. When we are less self-centered, we can become more focused on love, kindness, charity, goodwill and compassion to impact those around us for the better.
