Modesty

In a world where fashion is competition, and flaunting oneself is a way of life, humility and modesty stand out.

An old saying goes, “Clothes make the man”—meaning that people judge us by how we present ourselves. The trouble comes when we start to think our outward appearance is the biggest part of who we are.

The apostle Peter urged Christians to guard against materialism, emphasizing that how we live and carry ourselves should say more about us than what we wear. He wrote, “Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious” (1 Pet. 3:3-4, NIV). While there’s nothing inherently wrong with dressing up and looking good (Gen. 24:22; Song. 1:10-11; Ezek. 16:10-13), when we come to “trust in our own beauty” (Ezek. 16:15), comparing ourselves to others, then our looks have become an idol to us.

The Bible tells us not to show favoritism to those who make a show of themselves. The apostle James (believed to be the brother of Jesus) wrote to his fellow believers, “Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, ‘Here’s a good seat for you,’ but say to the poor man, ‘You stand there’ or ‘Sit on the floor by my feet,’ have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” (James 2:2-4, NIV).