I’ve thought a lot lately about how there are some things that seem obvious to people of the world, but somehow elude people of the Kingdom (or at least we sometimes act as if they do). If you listen to the radio, it won’t be long until you hear a song about a man buying a woman a drink to weaken her defenses, yet there are those in the church who refuse to admit that social drinking leads to sinful behaviors. The movie industry is subjected to a ratings system that “strongly cautions” parents about movie content, but I routinely see “Christian” parents ignoring those warnings and purchasing the tickets for their children to see those movies.
Another example of the admission of truth by the world, while it is often ignored by the people of God, is in the way we view immodest dress. Recently, some pretty potent words were included in a speech given at the Nashville Lads to Leaders Convention by Song Nicholas. In order to make her point, Song dressed in a low-cut top and a short skirt in that room full of girls. Here is a portion of her speech:
And we might need to look at our looks. But, you say, God doesn’t look at our outward appearance; He looks at our hearts. That’s true. But in 1 Timothy 2:9, God makes it clear that I need to work to make sure that my dress reflects the godliness that is inside. Look at me. Are my looks consistent with my message? Could I look at Jesus and honestly say, I believe this outfit reflects my godliness? (By the way, I only put this outfit together after I got here with just us girls). Let’s don’t cop out on the modesty command by acting dumb as if we don’t understand what immodesty is and does. The world gets it! Think about music. The song “Starstruck” that features Katy Perry says “low-cut, see-through shirts that make you want to whistle.” I looked up the video and the entire clip features 2 guys dreaming of girls in low-cut tops. California Girls describes “Daisy Dukes.” Then it says, “The boys break their necks to get a little sneak peak at us.” Tim McGraw’s song, “Something Like That” says, “You were killing me in that mini-skirt.” He wasn’t talking about a literal murder. The world admits that immodesty causes guys to lust. Why don’t honest Christian girls admit the same? With just a little extra work, sometimes shopping, and sometimes just by layering, I can get rid of the tight jeans, low tops, mini-skirts, and Nike shorts. I know this is a room full of girls who want to be what God wants us to be….Lets not focus on being hottest, but on being modest.
I love the fact that Song, aged 14, at the time of this speech, was honest in examining the issue of scanty clothing from the popular media’s point of view. The entertainment industry inundates the media with provocative clothing and lyrics about it. But at least those lyrics are generally transparent. They are not hiding the fact that scanty clothes excite the male mind. The industry admits it! It’s most often parents, even those who wear the name “Christian” who love to have the blinders on about revealing clothing or lack thereof. I don’t hear moms saying, “Let’s go shopping and buy something that makes the guys whistle,” yet that’s often what they buy. I don’t hear dads verbally encouraging any guys to try and get any sneak peeks at their daughters, but they encourage them just the same when they allow their daughters to move seductively in front of the crowd at the basketball game while dressed in scanty cheer uniforms. I don’t hear any “Christian” teen girls say “I think I’ll go kill him in this mini-skirt.” That’s just not what we say. But what are we thinking? We learn what the world is thinking when we listen to popular lyrics. Just what are WE thinking?
