by Grace Raab
Why do I wear skirts full time?
- God Wants There To Be A Distinction Between The Sexes.
- Wearing Skirts Easily Adorns A Woman In Modesty.
- A Lady Wearing A Skirt Is Easily Identified As A Christian.
- A Warning To Christians.
- Let God lead you.
As a little girl and as a lady, I have worn skirts and dresses full-time my entire life.
I started doing it because my parents taught me to do so and because it was expected of me by my pastors and church families. I was always told the reasoning for it, but I never truly grasped the importance of this principle until recent years.
I want to say right away that this essay is by no means meant to offend anyone in the smallest measure, but is meant simply to provide explanation to those who have wondered about my peculiar dress code, and also to give clarity to Christian women who have lived this way because it was expected of them, but never really had a personal understanding of why.
There are many different reasons why I believe (based on the Bible) that God would have me wear skirts instead of pants.
God Wants There To Be A Distinction Between The Sexes.
Deuteronomy 22:5 “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.”
This verse describes a very specific principle of how God thinks about the way men and women should dress. Notice that it doesn’t just say that men shouldn’t dress like women, or that women shouldn’t dress like men; it puts the two in direct contrast with each other.
In 1 Corinthians 11:14-15, it says: Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
This shows that God has a different idea for how men should wear their hair, and how women should wear their hair. We’ve just seen two different passages, one from the Old Testament, one from the New Testament, that portray an attitude of God, how He wants men and women to have a different outward appearance. God does not want men to look like women, and He doesn’t want women to look like men. Have you ever looked at someone from behind and not been totally sure whether you were seeing a male or female? Often, the people you’re viewing are even more confused about their gender than you are (or at least, they appear to be). I’m not saying that every girl who wears pants is necessarily trying to be a cross-dresser, but she is definitely coming a lot closer to it than if she were wearing a skirt.
God intentionally made me a woman, and I am proud to be one. Wearing skirts (obviously a woman’s apparel) is a huge way for me to embrace my God-given femininity, and it keeps me from contributing to the gender confusion that’s becoming so common in our culture today. When women as a society choose to wear clothing that so closely resembles a man‘s, it brings our society that much closer to confusion, and blurs the gender line all the more.
1 Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”
It would take an entirely different Bible study to show all the places where God made men and women different, and how He created them with different roles and expectations, but their appearance is definitely one of the major areas with which God is concerned.
Going back to Deuteronomy 22:5, “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.”
The argument of a lot of Christians today is that this was an Old Testament law, not meant to be adhered to anymore, and even if it were, men and women’s clothing was so different back then that this law could never be applied today. Many of the Mosaic laws were abolished in the New Testament, yes, but this law is a little different than some. If you notice the end of the verse, it says that “all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.” Sometimes when God gave a law, He addressed it as being an abomination unto the children of Israel only, such as the laws concerning what the Israelites were permitted to eat. This one is listed as an abomination unto the Lord. I don’t know about you, but this is one area where I would rather be safe than sorry. Could I be totally off in my interpretation of Deuteronomy 22:5? I suppose it’s possible, but when dealing with something that says it’s an “abomination unto the LORD thy God”, I would rather not take the risk. It’s just not worth it to me.
Wearing Skirts Easily Adorns A Woman In Modesty.
In my opinion, this reason is about as important as the first, if not more so. Skirts and dresses cover a woman in a modest and beautiful way that pants never can, and never will.
1 Timothy 2:9a “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety…”
Ladies, I’m going to be very blunt here: Have you ever seen what you look like from behind in a pair of pants? I have. I see it every day, and there are very few of you who can get away with it without outlining every curve of your backside. I’m not just talking about loose women of the world, I’m talking about Christian women who want to please God. Maybe it doesn’t look quite as bad when you’re standing still, but as soon as you move or bend at all, that pair of pants becomes extremely revealing of your shape and form. I truly have no desire to be insulting in any way, but it seems like you really just don’t know what you look like, so I am simply trying to be informative while being as honest and straightforward as possible. However, I’m not the one you should be most concerned with; guys are seeing it too.
Matthew 5:28 “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
Yes, men are responsible for the things they allow their own minds to dwell upon, but do you really want to be the image that prompts them into such fantasies? Some men will have corrupt thoughts no matter how you dress, but they don’t need you to clothe yourself in a way that leaves very little to the imagination. In addition to those types of men, there are also many Christian men out there who are trying to live a life pleasing to God with purity of thoughts and actions, but the way females dress around them –whether it be in tight jeans, a low-cut blouse, or even a short skirt– make it extremely difficult for them to do so. God created men with visually stimulated minds, and we, as Christian women, need to be aware of this. We are responsible for our part in preventing lust of the heart just as much as men are.
James 1:15 “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
Some women do wear pants that aren‘t so bad, and yes, I admit that VERY loose fitting pants are not as revealing, but again, depending on how you move, even those can fit a little snugly. But do you really want to walk around in baggy pants? Sometimes that’s when women blur their gender identity the most, to be honest. The only real difference I’ve noticed between men’s jeans and women’s jeans is the body inside them. Ultimately, when a woman wears pants, she either looks sloppy or sexy. Still, some women continue to cling to their reasonings.
“You can’t do the things in a skirt that you can in pants.”
This is probably the most popular argument for why women don’t want to wear skirts: They’re inconvenient, and they supposedly hinder one’s ability to perform daily activities. Well… I am completely unimpressed with this argument. I have climbed trees, climbed ladders, ridden horses, ridden bicycles, played sports, gone roller-skating, gone rock climbing, detasseled corn (often climbing up and down a tractor), I’ve worked a job, and I never once put on a pair of pants. I do have one pair of waterproof sweatpants that I wear for shoveling snow or activities like skiing or sledding, but I’ve always worn them underneath a skirt. I’m really not trying to brag here, but there are just so many things a girl can easily do in a skirt!
When I was very young, I used to wear shorts underneath my clothes while playing, but only because five-year-olds haven’t learned to be lady-like yet. And it’s true, even some grown-up girls haven’t learned how to act in a skirt and can unintentionally be very immodest while wearing one because of the way they move, but it’s just a matter of learning to be appropriate, and when necessary, it’s just better to wear something underneath to be safe. It’s much easier, however, for girls to learn how to act properly in a skirt if they start wearing them from childhood. For others, it just takes a little getting used to and an awareness of your appearance. I promise skirts are very easy and comfortable to wear! But that’s only one excuse given for why skirts aren’t acceptable as full-time attire.
“Christian women who only wear skirts are legalists.”
Another argument some women give for why they don’t think it’s necessary to always wear skirts is that it’s legalistic. I would like to clarify now that there is not one standard in my life that I practice out of legalism. Legalism is a person following certain religious laws in order to earn their way to Heaven. I know very well that whether a woman wears pants or dresses, it does not affect her security of a home in Heaven, and it would be ridiculous to think so. The only thing that saves a person and takes them to Heaven is their trust in Christ to cleanse their sins with the blood He shed for them. I also do not believe that the Christian life is merely a list of rules and regulations that must be obeyed in order to stay on God’s good side.
I fail all the time, but every belief I hold and try to live is just an attempt to please my Savior who created me, gave His life for me, and has a purpose for me. In His word, God teaches that a woman should look different than a man and that a woman should be modest; that is why I dress the way I do. I don’t do it to try to appear better than anyone else, or because I think the way someone looks on the outside is all that matters. I have known and loved many wonderful, sincere Christian ladies who don‘t wear dresses all the time, and I by no means find them inferior to me or believe that I am better than they are, but that does not make my conviction any less resolute.
“It doesn’t matter how I dress, because God only looks on the heart.”
Here is yet another reason why some women don’t find it necessary to dress modestly (not just referring to pants), or even wear their hair in a way that pleases God. And they use the verse 1 Samuel 16:7 to defend their position.
“But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”
This is a wonderful verse, but there’s just one problem. If you read this in context, God is speaking about a person’s appearance as far as height, color, etc. It’s not talking about the way a person deliberately chooses to adorn themselves. How tall you are, or how beautiful you are, or how blue your eyes are, is not something that speaks of your character. However, the way you honor God in your clothing is entirely up to you, and is a reflection of what is in your heart. God does, in fact, care about the way we present ourselves.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
One more word about modesty: Ladies, when you dress in a way that reveals the form of your body, you’re not only inviting men to lust after you, you’re putting yourself in danger. I have seen many dear, Christian ladies that are close to my heart do this unintentionally, and I am sincerely trying to protect you. I have worked in the customer service arena for nearly three years, and I have had very few and minor experiences with men coming on to me (even in spite of the friendly, ditsy personality that I have!), and I truly believe that I can attribute much of this to the way I dress. Guys generally go after easy prey. They see me, I give them nothing for their imagination to build on, and they know that I’m not interested. But they also can guess pretty well that a girl wearing a skirt in the workplace is probably a Christian, and that especially tells them that I’m not interested… Which brings me to my final point.
A Lady Wearing A Skirt Is Easily Identified As A Christian.
Not only does a woman in a modest skirt or dress look feminine, lady-like, and beautiful, but she often makes it quite obvious that she’s a Christian. Yes, I have gotten some pretty funny looks from people who’ve seen me going about my life in a skirt (especially when in a group of multiple ladies wearing skirts), but to be quite honest, I love that. I love that I have a way of so boldly proclaiming that I’m a follower of Christ, without even saying a word. Of course, this is only one area in which a woman can outwardly display her faith in God, but I’ve found it to be one of the most recognizable, simply because so few women do it anymore. There was a time not too long ago in our country when it was against dress regulations for a girl to wear pants in a public school. We’ve come a long way since then! But this means that Christian women have more opportunity than ever to display their separation to Christ.
I’ve had so many occasions to discuss Jesus with people, often total strangers, that I probably would’ve never been able to talk to had they not inquired about my uncommon dress standards. I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting other Christian ladies that just walked up to me in the middle of a grocery store and delightedly said “You must be a Christian.“ I’m not making this up!
Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
Don’t miss out on this great experience! There is no greater joy than to show forth the praises of our God, and reflect to the world the light He’s given us, because that’s what we were created to do. Dressing in feminine, modest apparel is one of the many ways we can do this, and also one of the most powerful.
I have met with many women, mostly young girls, who’s biggest problem with giving up pants was their fear of humiliation. They were afraid of how their friends and family would view them for looking so different. I sympathize with these ladies, and pray that they will get a hold of the Biblical truths on separation from the world, and the joy it brings to a Christian’s life.
1 Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;”
Romans12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
2 Corinthians 6:17 “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”
The Bible speaks for itself. Different is good, and being separated unto God is the best.
A Warning To Christians.
I know that there are many different reasons women have for either wearing or not wearing pants. I have heard many of the explanations behind each standpoint, and I’ve addressed most of them, but I can by no means judge the motives of each individual I encounter.
Perhaps you’ve read this whole essay and you’re thinking “I’ve been living the Christian life for years, and I’ve never felt the need to practice this.” I understand and respect that. But there is a certain attitude that has plagued the mindset of many of my fellow Christians that I would like for you to be cautious against. Perhaps it doesn’t apply to you, but perhaps it does. It’s the attitude of “How much can I get away with and still technically be living a Christian life?”. Of course, that’s not usually how people phrase it in their minds. Usually, they begin by asking questions like “Is this really a sin?”, or more specifically for women “Is it really a sin to wear pants?”
I’ve known far too many Christian women who lived many years of their lives wearing skirts, and then stopped because they asked that question. Not because they didn’t truly feel led to do it at one point, but often because they started becoming more concerned with how the world was viewing them, or how they viewed themselves than how God viewed them.
The issue with this mindset is that it starts with something seemingly harmless like dress standards, and then it keeps going. Pretty soon you’re listening to worldly music that dishonors God and asking “Is this really a sin?”. Then before you know it, you’re finding reasons why it’s okay to miss church, drink alcohol, or have improper conduct with the opposite sex, all because you started becoming concerned with how much you can get away with, and the process often starts with something like dress standards. This is not the attitude of a Christian. The attitude of a Christian ought to be “How much can I do to please my Savior?” Please do not go down the wrong road.
Let God Lead You.
Finally, as I’ve said before, my purpose in writing this is not to offend or insult anyone, nor is it to boast about my own Christian achievements. I am a far cry from the perfect Christian, and still, have a long way to go, but I humbly desire to share with others some things that the Bible and the Christian experience has taught me. I pray that I have not given anyone the impression that I believe a woman cannot have a walk with God or be used by God unless she wears skirts all the time; that would be very untrue. However, I do firmly believe that it has been a wonderful and powerful practice in my own life for all the reasons given, and I believe it can do the same for any of my sisters in Christ.
If you’re not sure what God would have you do, consider what the Bible teaches, and pray about it. The Holy Spirit has a way of telling us what kind of changes need to be made in 
Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Have a blessed day!
-Grace Raab
“loose women of the world”
That’s where I stopped reading. Hahaha. I truly cannot continue. Hahaha
I can’t imagine believing in any god that would be so petty as to be concerned about what anyone wears. People forget (or don’t know) that the Bible was written by men.
Actual humans. It’s stories created for men, by men. Nothing more than that.
But worrying about all the little rules keeps you too occupied to look deeper and start asking the hard questions.
I’m so sad to read this; it is sadly another example of the lie feminists tell themselves to reject the Word of God. “All Scripture is GOD BREATHED…” Yes, God used MEN to write the scripture. “Women keep silent in church.” It takes a lot of humility and strength of character (thank God for His strength!) to reign in our feminine arrogance to understand God’s reasons for Men being assigned the spiritual gifts of Pastor-Teacher and Evangelist. We are all called to witness for Christ but men only are given the particular gifts of communication to His flock. There is no shame in that. It does not lessen the woman in the Christian life. It merely identifies one of the roles specifically for men. I can only imagine that you’re not versed in the original languages of scripture or have taken the time to study the Word of God in earnest or you wouldn’t worry yourself about who God chose to write down His word so that we might “come to know the Love of Christ, which goes beyond all understanding.”
Ah, a conformist. Origin of Species was a big lie written by a man who, even though he had a devout mother, turned his back on God when he lost a child.
God is not “petty” and His concern is about how we separate ourselves from the world. One way to do that is to not follow the crowd and be a conformist. You have all these unbelievers screaming “I’m an original individual” and doing what they can to stand out but the irony is that they end up looking like everybody else. The only ones who look different and are different are the believers.
“Worry about all the little rules.” And folks like you are under the false impression that you are free when in fact you are in bondage to sin.
The Bible was written by about 40 different men over a span of 1500 years. Those men came from many different walks of life. There were shepherds, kings, prophets, warriors, a doctor, a publican, a Pharisee, a half-brother of Jesus, Jesus’s best friend. Many did not even know the others personally. And within the Old Testament is over 300 prophecies about Jesus. The odds of Him fulfilling those prophecies in the New Testament and for the men to be able to write out a narrative to perfectly match those prophecies is next to impossible. The Jews did not even understand all the Messianic prophecies. They would not have been able to “make up” the New Testament books to match what they didn’t understand.
But you go on believing the Jesuit lies of evolution and keep getting triggered by a God you don’t believe exists. 🙂
Frankly, ever since Women’s Rights women have been pushing boundaries for the sake of “equality” to some extent, the other I believe is gain grounds by men’s own stand would be taboo. That is to deliberately wear men’s clothing or male inspired clothing.
I came along in a genetation that in my younger years “guys don’t wear pink or he is a sissy” but you know what? God made colors not to be catagorized between male & female, no he made colors to reflect the beauty in his creations.
In ancient Rome the togas back then had their distinctions that a man would wear different from how a woman wears it. Though in todays standard he would be considered “wearing a dress”.
In medieval Europe tunics of certain lengths wear worn by men. Again, in todays standard he too would be wearing a dress.
From ancient pharoes to the highlanders of Scotland, anything resembling a skirt/dress is concidered “feminine”.
But for a moment, if we took a look outside Western culture we would see men and women both wear clothing similar yet distictly different (just as previously mentioned about Roman togas) and yet they are still recognizably male and female.
Somehow, someway we as Western civilization have determined there needs to be a more polarized perception to identify male from female and the extent we have allowed have gone to the point of discrimination.
For example, if we see a guy walking around wearing a simple, plain design knee length denim skirt with a tee shirt some if not most of us are going to notice he is not wearing shorts but a skirt and we would then instinctively assume he is “Cross Dressing”. But if we see a woman wearing denim jeans we wouldn’t think nor say nothing about that. Perhaps what we have developed through Women’s Rights is that WOMEN are allowed to in effect Cross Dress but at the same time slander a man for doing so even if his intention is to be comfortable in an adticle of clothing take wearing a skirt or sarong in the middle of unbearable summer heat.
Sure we say “why wear a skirt when he COULD be wearing shorts?”.
Well the answer is simple.
Do women wear pants because she wants to change her identity from female to male OR do women wear pants because of their own personal perference?
If the answer is ‘because of her personal perference’ then why are men still discriminated from anything stereotypically associated with women when outside the Western world it is natural for men in the South East Asia to wear a Sarong along side women?
Don’t they have their distinctions even though we think they are wearing the same thing? Sure they do. No different when women wear pants along side men.
My first time of owning a kilt was when I had one made for me. I had an old vintage doll of a boy wearing a solid green kilt, a black jacket. I didn’t know no different and had my kilt made just as what was on the doll.
It wasn’t till about a couple or three years later I went to a Renaissance Festival out of town and I meet a couple of guys dressed as time period Scotsmen but from their accent and the way the two were walking and talking I picked up that they were in deed from Scotland. I caught up with them wearing my kilt with a Renaissance shirt with my claymore and knelt down before them offering them my sword.
They asked me if I wanted to give up my sword. I said yes. They asked if I was sure and I said yes, asuring them I had other swords I never specified. They then told “you don’t have to kneel down before us, we’re not Anglish”. I was politely informed my kilt was worn the wrong way, it was worn on the ladies side.
?I was now informed so my next kilt was going to be made correctly, thankfully where I live we resently got an annual Irish Fest for which I bought me a proper kilt.
So I learned that just because something may resemble somthing it in fact may not be if worn correctly.
Could a man wear a skirt? Absolutely just as long as we uphold distinctions to clothing that may look alike.
Another way of looking at it.
We have dress shirts for both men and women, we have pants made for men and women and technically kilts originally men’s but women over time too adopted wearing kilts too and for that there are kilts specifically made for women separate from the way men’s kilts are made. So if a man were to wear a skirt, perhaps the distinction shouldn’t a matter of shorts vs skirts but how the skirt is made. From what I have seen, denim skirts are made were the front fly and botton are designed on either side. And not all denim skirts have slits in them so give these distinctions if a man wore a denim skirt with a tee shirt and the front closure on the skirt is on the ‘male side’ and the skirt is knee length without a slit or if the skirt length is longer for better modesty.
Just so long as the man is NOT wearing high heels, wearing actual dresses, and not strutting along like a drag queen by technical definition would be “CROSSDRESSING”.
great issues altogether, you just gained a new reader. What might you suggest about your put up that you just made a few days ago? Any positive?
Thank you! Very well stated! Indeed, cleanse embrasure of God’s gender design for my soul and my body IS a powerful tool — and all the more so when lived out loud in an increasingly gender confused world…
Best view i have ever seen !
Just do whatever is right in your own eyes! Don’t concern yourself with causing another to stumble. After all,It’s all about me and what I think. For sure don’t live as though you will one day face the Lord and give account.
While I support you in your convictions, the argument for long skirts and only skirts from a theological perspective is thinner than ice on a lake in spring time. Preaching on one verse taken out of historical context (women and men wore tunics in Bible times) and limiting women’s ability to serve in church if they and their husbands disagree is just one more thing killing IFB churches.
At the end of the day, your entire argument is based on one verse. If you and your husband are convicted, by all means, only wear long skirts. The problem is when IFB churches preach this from the pulpit and make this a requirement for serving in the church. Modesty? Absolutely. Long skirts and only long skirts backed up by one verse taken out of historical context? Absolutely not. I’ve known many, many IFB girls over the years who wore long skirts and shirts that were so tight that a loose fitting shirt and pants would’ve been much more modest. We are so focused on coming out from among them and being separate that we aren’t even witnessing and are expecting those that miraculously do get saved to meet ridiculous outward appearance standards before they are allowed to serve in the church. I’d love to see the Bible verse that states a woman cannot serve in the church if she ever wears pants.
Unbiblical dogma that we have labeled “standards” is one of the primary culprits for 75% of our kids leaving the church. They will question what we teach and believe, and if we can’t back it up from the Bible, they will question everything they were ever taught. That is why I’m part of the minority of kids from the many IFB churches I grew up in throughout the USA who is still in church. My parents taught me to know what I believe and why, but listened to me when I disagreed and discussed it with me at length. The parents who didn’t? Their kids left the church…As in church altogether. They don’t go to any church now.
It can only be a standard for those women who professing godliness, choose so to please God.
Yeah, you may have seen women in all sorts of garments, but it takes a woman who really takes this issue to heart and as the writer said, she wants to please God. And I have come to the same place as I have looked at these scriptures and many more, and for the reasons given. For me, I see the attack of Satan on the family and on men and women, we should therefore embrace that God made me the way I am and I will live by his example to the best of my ability and with his help.
We are trying not to impose our own ideals upon others, but through maturity and grace have come to understand and love modesty and desire to see our sisters grow in godliness. And considering the purpose is for the care of ourselves and our brethren and the lost, it is a distinct way of living out our testimonial relationship with God, that he may get all of the glory.
I agree with both you and Patrick. I try to continually practice modesty and my husband and I try to instill this value in both our son and daughter. I however do not ONLY wear skirts or dresses, nor do I enforce this on my daughter. I do not feel that I have the scripture to back this decision up. As Patrick said in Biblical times, both men and women wore tunics, they differentiated between the genders, with various waist ties, outer cloaks, aprons and head coverings (especially for women). I believe this is why in 1 Corinthians 11:14-15, Paul addresses a woman’s hair to be her covering because there was dispute between those in the Jewish culture holding onto traditions, and Corinthian women who felt liberated by the gospel and wanted to get rid of their head coverings, which under previous cultural rules implied that they were sexually loose or insubordinate, just as long hair for men was not culturally appropriate. But I am sure we all know that Pauls lessons to all these churches are here for our instructions so we do not make the same mistakes. Just as the author stated, there are religious practices I have or do, because thats where I feel God has placed my heart and I do them as a form of obedience to the Lord. I also would rather be safe than sorry. I do not agree with mandated dress codes however, as Patrick stated this only pulls and pushes people away from the very open and loving arms of Christ our Savior. We are here to share the good news, not place worldly rules or standards on it. Dress in a way that pleasing and respectful to your temple.
1 Corn 6:19-20
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies”
Romans 14:13
“Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother”
1 Corinthians 8:9
“But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak”
All glory to God.
And your right Brittany satan has been very busy, our armor must be on and ready at all times.
Excellent response. Thank you for defending biblical modesty.
I love this! I’ve worn pants my entire life, only worn dresses to church. The Lord has been prompting me, in wearing modest dresses all the time as he is separating me from the world and drawing me nearer to him. What others do in their own walk with him is between them, but this is what the Lord is calling me to do..
This comment! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Well said Patrick. Thank you for saying everything I was thinking but could not so eloquently articulate.
Great article! Thank you for your testimony
So, 2 things that dont work with this argument. 1, using out of context verses, as another commenter pointed out- men and women both wore long dream-like clothing when the Bible was written.
And 2, women as just as sinful and lustful creatures as men are. Men wearing tight jeans/clothing is very attractive and more revealing than a tunic would be.
What this argument comes down to is sexism. Though I know in this practice, men are to slowly wear pants (not always), and no shorts. But, why cant women?
Please stop forcing the Bible to fit your man-made ideologies.
We are to be holy as God is holy, yes, but let’s let God define what that is; taking Him at His word and the fullness of it, rather than a few verses that suit our ways.
I don’t believe God cares about what you have on. Just be clean and respectful. We look at a person from the outside bc that’s all we can see, but thank God He looks at the heart! We don’t know why a person wears what they wear. Could be that’s all they have to wear. Would you rather them stay away from the church bc of your dress code or rather that they come to church. The Bible says to come as you are. Why? Bc He and He alone can fix anything and anyone. You just get them there, stand back and let God do what only God can do. After all, He knows the answer to every problem, bc He IS the answer! And besides, when we stand b4 Him in judgement, it won’t matter what we are wearing, but rather what condition your heart and soul in and loving and helping somebody! That’s all that matters in the END! Give God the Glory!
Great article! I totally get where you’re coming from and it boils down to how the Holy Spirit guides you..I spent many of years wearing skirts as a child into my teens, then switched to pants once I got out of the house. Now that I’m much older and lived in the world for over 15 years, I am now back to skirts and I can attest that I used to get easily offended when I saw women only wearing skirts. Once I started reading the Bible daily and putting Christ first in my life again after many of years not being in the church, I started letting old habits go and I also don’t judge others around me and their decision. It does have to do with your own convictions.
Not judging other Christians or anyone for that matter is a very simple concept that I somehow missed for many years. I wish I had learned the concept 20 years ago, for I would have saved myself a lot of grief and misery. When God tells us not to do something it is ALWAYS for our own good.
I enjoyed the article I agree with pretty much all of it. I think that God wants there to be a clear difference between a man and a woman without it just being their shape inside of pants. There are so many points to make from that verse and many others but I want to get to the point that should convince any true believer. As a Christian we don’t want to set any stumbling blocks or help influence or cause any other Christians or just any other people to sin. I am a guy and I have watched shows which I should not have watched before I believed, which cause lust and bad thoughts that are hard to overcome (I hate to admit this but I do so to help fellow believers in Christ). Now that I believed for almost 2 years now and am trying to do right and overcome these thoughts with the help of the Holy Ghost (the only way I can over come them) and faith on Jesus Christ. I find it easier and greatly appreciate it when I’m around believers that wear longer skirts and dresses and not pants. That is because I can look at them and talk to them without having to fight thoughts or trying to avoid looking completely at them. The fact is that I am a male and I can confess that it is easier for lustful thoughts to go through my mind when looking at a woman wearing pants rather than a longer skirt or a dress. I truly do hate these fleshly thoughts and am gradually overcoming them through the Spirit but I still fail often. Everybody has sins that they need to work on and this is one of mine. You have to understand that most men don’t care and actually enjoy these thoughts. Don’t encourage them and help them think these thoughts about you. I am not super strict about wearing skirts around close family or somewhere with very few people around but I also don’t totally understand why skirts would not be more comfortable. I also understand if you are doing something that could be slightly more dangerous or harder with a skirt or dress on. Just so you know I have never worn a skirt or dress, so someone could say I don’t understand which may be partially true but I know women that do not have a problem with it. for any normal public place I am so thankful and happy when a women wears a longer skirt or dress. I also do agree that when I see a women wearing a modest skirt or dress in public I do think that person is probably a Christian. I hope and pray that this helped someone in there decision whether or not to wear a skirt/dress or pants.
There is nothing wrong with a man wearing a women’s mini skirt and leggings if they choose to
Of course I agree wholeheartedly but I also wonder why we just stop at skirts. There are many other ways to be feminine as well and the whole gamut needs to be utilized for full effect and to sharpen the distinction between feminine traits and distinctly masculine traits. So I believe women should wear makeup and keep their nails long. We should wear heels or at the minimum sandals…no moccasins or closed sneaker type shoes. Our hair should be long and attractively arranged. We need to maintain a slender weight and keep an attractive feminine figure. Christian women should be the most beautiful and feminine you see out in public. I am a Southern Belle born and raised so perhaps being dainty and girly-girl just comes easier for me but I see nothing wrong with promoting these other feminine virtues just as vehemently as some push wearing modest skirts. There is so much more to being a woman than merely a skirt.
I must say your article is the best I’ve read yet on this subject. Thank you sister! Many blessings!
Well. First of, you need to define womans clothing from a man’s. Men wore cloaks and tunics that looked like long dresses. In ancients times, woman wore trousers/pants that were loosely fitting. Now i would say if you wear tight pants that sculpt your body, that is not modest and is against God’s word, but pants in general are not. You could not be a legalist, as there is no law defining what a woman’s apparrel was in those times. Pantaloons are and old style of pants worn by woman, by old i mean ancient. You can’t add words to the bible and make doctrines out of them. Most prostitutes use skirts, as they are easier to pull up without removing them. So please define what woman’s and man’s apparel are using scripture, before you guess what it is supposed to be(you can’t, bible doesn’t say). Again, what the bible does say, is that men wore long tunics or cloaks that to us, look like dresses. So if a woman is not supposed to wear men’s clothing…. Well, you get what i mean, i hope.
Fantastic Article. Too many woman of today dress like tramps, and they have a hard time figuring out why men treat them as such. One’s attire is a reflection of the soul; if it be rotten, then you’ll dress rotten; if it abide in God, then raiment will be good by the standards of God’s Words.
I would agree that there is a definite need for modest dress in today’s society for both men and women. I think women are much more attractive when wearing women’s clothing as well. I certainly agree that Christians should outwardly and inwardly be separate from the world system and its moral decay. My wife however doesn’t totally agree when it comes to wearing dresses and skirts, so I don’t make it a point of contention. I just give a bit of encouragement from time to time and hope and pray the Lord may lead her to change her views. This is a good article and I will bookmark it for future reference.
I see a lot of religions emphasizing that the Bible tells women to obey men, but in the same passage it tells men to love their wives. Somehow this advice frequently gets skipped in practice, even by very “devout “ men. The women are loved as long as they do exactly what the men want.
If men are to wear men’s clothing, should they, by tradition, be wearing robes, as was done in the Bible? I’m pretty sure that is the type of clothing to which the Bible is referring. Why are they allowed to wear more modern clothing?