I’ve read and heard plenty of comments about the issue of whether we, as Christian women, should dress in skirts and dresses only, or if it’s okay to wear pants. This is a touchy subject. I covered it in one of my posts titled “Why I Wear Skirts and Dresses Only,” but I’d love to discuss in more detail a couple of important points that I consider crucial to this topic.
First of all, let’s look at one very important verse from the Bible that talks about men and women’s apparel:
“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.”Deuteronomy 22:5
While this verse doesn’t specifically mention what kind of clothing must be worn in order to distinguish between men and women, it does set forth an important principle: There needs to be a distinction between the sexes. When God says that all who cross dress are performing an “abominable” act in His eyes, He’s not playing around! Abominable things are things which God detests. That’s a clue that we need to be very careful here and not treat this topic loosely, as if it doesn’t matter.
In a world where men are dressing like women and women are acting like men, I think this verse should be taken very seriously! What better way to proclaim to our culture that we do not flow with where it is going than to emphasize our gender differences through our style of dress! Ladies, this a great opportunity to make a statement! To say, without ever uttering a word, “I don’t agree with our society; I uphold the truth of God’s word, and I have made the decision to obey God by fitting in with the role He designed for me.”
One of the easiest, prettiest ways of doing that is for women to distinguish themselves visually from men by wearing long, flowing skirts or dresses. I know there are ladies who believe that because their pants are in a “feminine style,” and that because they appear “overall like a woman,” there is no need for a skirt. I would like to point out, however, that pants themselves–no matter the style–used to be considered men’s attire. It only became common for women with the advent of Feminism.
I have heard the argument that there are other cultures in the world where women wear pants and are still considered feminine. And yet, I wonder why we, as Christians, find the need to point to “Pagans” in order to defend our choices? The heritage of our Western Culture is mostly based on the Judeo-Christian Worldview; and, it is out of that heritage that we have inherited (until we threw it off) the tradition of women wearing skirts and dresses.
Here’s another good reason why I think wearing skirts and dresses only is superior to wearing pants: Modest skirts and dresses hide the crotch area. This, for me, is one of the most convincing arguments in favor of skirts and dresses only. God instructs us to dress modestly:
“In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.”
1 Timothy 2:9-10
Women aren’t supposed to draw attention to themselves, but are supposed to draw attention to GOD by their good works. That’s not to condone sloppiness or ugliness; God loves beauty and order, and we should reflect that in our personal appearance. However, there is a difference between having a modest, neat, pretty appearance, and having a sexy appearance. The first shows purity, discretion, and good taste, demonstrating what our Lord cherishes; while the other promotes one’s own self, demonstrating what our flesh craves. Is it a “good work” to flaunt our sexuality? Does that show “shamefacedness”? Isn’t the good not in what we do for ourselves in order to satisfy our own vanity, but in what we do for others in order to lift their thoughts upward to God?
There are plenty of men who enjoy looking at sexy women’s bodies. And many others are at least tempted to do so, very strongly. Listen, if we don’t think that’s the case–well, the advertising companies must know something we don’t know. Let’s be real, here. Men are attracted to the curves revealed by immodest clothing. We shouldn’t live in la-la land by telling ourselves that even though a woman dresses in tight clothing, it makes no difference: yes, it certainly does. She may have a cross necklace on, but that doesn’t mean a thing to a man with a lustful eye. Even Christian men struggle with lust. Are we advertising our bodies to them in the same way that models advertise their bodies for the magazines? Every article of clothing needs to be examined to see if it passes God’s test for modesty before we put it on; but for now, let’s continue to zone in on pants.
Tight pants reveal everything. They show the outline of the buttocks, the crease between them, and the crotch. And we call this modest? Who are we trying to fool? We need to stop playing around with this, and admit the truth: Tight pants call attention to our feminine, reproductive area! Do we really think this won’t be tempting to men? If I as a woman notice how other women dress, what must the men see?
Now, not all men are like this, for sure, but I’ve seen men turn their heads to stare at sexy women when they pass by. My husband shared with me the other day about how he saw one man stop what he was doing and just rest against the tailgate of his truck in order to watch a girl in tight clothing as she walked to the store. Probably, most men wouldn’t be as overt as that, but surely they’re not blind, either! I’m sure that even a quick glance suffices for men to know how a woman looks, and whether she looks sexy, or not.
Additionally, and perhaps just as importantly, wearing pants usually loosens a woman’s posture. She begins to sit and stand with her legs far apart. She squats down to reach something on the floor, or slouches back in her chair with legs stretched to the side, in a wide open stance. Does this remind us of something? Perhaps the sexual act itself? Yuck, right? That is the influence clothing has on our actions: it causes us to move in different patterns, patterns that do not always call to mind that which is pure and wholesome.
Now, we can’t expect the world to understand much about these things, or to care even a little bit. But, we call ourselves “Christians.” We are followers of Christ, and claim to obey His word. We point others to salvation, and give our testimony of how Jesus saved us from our sins . . . while showing off our crotch and buttocks in tight pants. So incongruent.
To conclude, then: One of the biggest arguments against wearing pants is that they reveal the female reproductive area and sexy body parts that we should be hiding. A modest skirt or dress hides the crotch area, making it superior to pants. Another major reason wearing skirts and dresses is better than wearing pants is because it maintains a clear gender distinction, as we looked at previously.
Even after considering the reasons for wearing skirts and dresses only, there may be those who still believe that wearing pants is okay for a Christian woman. I don’t agree, but I understand. However, I would like to issue a challenge: Please try to find a way to wear pants as modestly as you can. Don’t wear the tight ones. Find looser-fitting pants, preferably not jeans. Find a long shirt that will cover the behind area.
I’ve seen Muslim women dress in pants very modestly. They wear loose pants, with a long shirt over it. I don’t feel that we need to copy people from other religions, but it serves as a good example, of how it CAN be done, if we’re willing to make some small sacrifices. We should be light to the world–but, what kind of light are we really being when we advertise to those around us our sensual areas by wearing tight jeans?
Here are a few pictures I got online (random sources) that show looser, modest pants worn under a long blouse.
truthathome.wordpress.com 
Excellent points! 🙂
Diana
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Thanks, Diana!
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Great arguments, though I think it’s all regional and about personal style and preference as well.
The two goals are, as you stated, to distinguish between men and women and to dress modestly.
In favour of pants: they can be both feminine clothing and modest. The problem is that there are very few pants that actually meet that.
Many pants are designed for women. These follow the countours of a woman’s body and could hardly be considered male clothing, with their pinched waists, flared hips, glittery patterns and slim, tight legs. A man in them would look like he intended to smuggle hams out of a butcher.
And many pants are modest. They are loose, don’t ride up your buttocks and don’t fit your crotch and thighs tightly. But most modest pants don’t look like they were cut for women at all.
Some clothing items that fit this middle ground are long-legged rompers and overalls, opaque Eastern-inspired harem pants, jodhpurs and high-waisted hiphop jeans. Pretty much everything else is either very revealing or very masculine.
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Thanks for your additional thoughts on this subject! You’re right, that many pants are made just to fit a woman’s body, which style most men would never think of wearing (and yet, who thought that men would embrace the skinny jean?) The problem is, though, as you pointed out, that they are very form fitting. The other options in pants that are looser and more modest can also be less feminine, on the downside. However, when paired with a very feminine blouse and pretty shoes, that problem might be solved. But to me, the easiest solution is to just wear a skirt.
As a biblical command, modesty really applies to all regions, and personal preference should bow to biblical principle. And yet, the application of this might look different depending on where you’re from. For example, if I visited a predominantly Muslim region, I would want to be careful to cover my legs all the way to my shoes, and my arms all the way to my wrists, since not doing so might be shocking to those who are not used to seeing a woman’s bare skin. In order to preserve a sense of respect for their social expectations, I would cover myself more than I personally feel is necessary; I don’t think it immodest to show my arms from the biceps down, or to show my calves. Perhaps that is because in our culture, where we’re so used to seeing women run around in spaghetti-strap tops and short shorts, anything that covers the arms from the biceps up, and that covers the legs down to the calves seems modest by comparison. But it should be obvious to ALL Christians that we at a bare minimum shouldn’t be showcasing our private parts. Because really, how can we honestly call that modest?
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Jessica your post came in such time when I had to point out gently to on of my friends regarding modesty and head covering. She told me that I was interfering with her freedom.
I live in a very windy region. Pants are more practical here. I always make sure that my behind is covered with the top. I wear skirts/dresses when weather permits.
Honestly it breaks my heart that modesty in so many cases is overlooked.
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Oh, Irina, I feel you did the right thing by gently reminding your friend about modesty. I’m sorry she responded the way she did. You didn’t say whether or not she is a Christian. As Christians, God’s grace gives us many freedoms, but never the freedom to sin or to be selfish. We must think of others before ourselves. I hope your friend comes to understand this someday.
It is true that pants can be more practical, sometimes. Since I’m committed to wearing skirts/dresses only, I’ve had to find ways to deal with certain impracticalities. So, when it’s windy, I’ve found it’s best to wear a skirt that is LONG, STRAIGHTER, and that is made of a HEAVIER MATERIAL. I also have found that it helps to wear LEGGINGS underneath. I’ve noticed that light, fluffy skirts with lots of loose fabric and that are shorter tend to be lifted up by the wind much more easily. Sometimes other ladies think that skirt and dress wearing will be too hard. Even after trying it for awhile, some give up. But, I have found that there are creative solutions to any problem related to this issue. After all, the women of times past had to deal with these impractical situations, so why can’t I?
Additionally, I choose to wear skirts and dresses because they are more feminine. In our North American culture, women first started to wear pants because they were making a statement. Basically, they were saying, “I refuse to fit in with the social restraints of biblical gender roles. I am an independent woman, and I can do whatever I want.” So, that’s the story behind pants wearing in our culture. When I wear pants, I feel like I’m living out their legacy; why would I want to do that?
However, I acknowledge that most girls nowadays won’t make that connection. All most of us knew growing up was that women wear pants, too. We didn’t know why that was, we just knew that it was, and we accepted it, because it has now become part of our culture.
I also acknowledge that because the Bible doesn’t specifically say WHAT KIND of clothing women should wear to be modest (even though I do think there are certain guidelines based on biblical passages that speak of clothing, but I’ll talk about that in another post), we must use our own good judgement. I don’t look down on other Christian women who choose to wear pants. When I see them doing so modestly, I actually feel very happy that they are trying to be modest. Because, as you said, “Honestly it breaks my heart that modesty in so many cases is overlooked.”
Thanks for your great comments, Irina!
Your friend,
Jessica
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I agree with you that muslimas wear pants so modestly.Once my Bangladeshi penpal(she is a muslima.) gave me long sleeve loose blouse of her country.When Bangladeshi girls wear pants,they also wear this kind of blouse.And they put stole on their shoulder to cover body when they go out. Wearing modestly..this issue may be easy to be forgotten among christians.We have freedom to choose what we wear,but should use it for God’s glory,not for our satisfaction.
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Thank you for telling me about your Muslim friend from Bangladesh, Sanae! I looked up some photos of Islamic clothing online, and posted them at the end of this post to give some examples of how pants can be modest if they are loose enough, and if a long blouse is worn over them to cover the private area. I think it can look very beautiful, while still being modest.
You’re right that, “Wearing modestly..this issue may be easy to be forgotten among christians.We have freedom to choose what we wear,but should use it for God’s glory,not for our satisfaction.” So well said, Sanae! If you want, see my reply to Irina for some more explanation of why I prefer skirts and dresses over pants, and a solution for windy days. However, I love to see women dress modestly, whether they wear skirts and dresses OR pants. I think that the most important thing is that we are trying to do the right thing, and not just doing what everybody else does because we want to look good and want to fit in.
Thanks for your helpful comments!
Jessica
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Dear Jessica,
Oh, how I enjoyed reading this post and the following comments of our ladies! I must tell you something funny; for the first reading, I read it with serious face, but then for the second time (I mean, today) I read it with big smile and even joyous laughing! Why? Because the way you present your opinion is so lovely and straightforward. The two together.
I wear dresses/skirts only and I have a same opinion with you but I cannot express it as clearly as you do. Sometimes, I think of others’ reactions too much and I cannot be straightforward in terms of what I believe.
Oh, by the way, as for the Deuteronomy 22:5, I’ve read some people say we Christians should not establish our belief based on one verse in the OT. Have you heard of this? If you have, what do you think of it?
Kinuko
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Thanks, Kinuko, for your words of kindness. I was afraid that some people might be offended with me for my straightforwardness. But, like I’ve said before, I’m “cursed” (but not really, ha, ha) with a personality that is unbending in morals. I see in terms of black and white, and I “tell it like I see it.” Most people, I’ve found, don’t like that. Not to say that I’m always right, but that I usually hold very strongly to certain opinions until one can convince me, from the BIBLE, that I’m wrong. I feel compelled to tell other people the truth, because I can’t stand to see them blindly going down the wrong path–and people DO NOT like that! Like Irina said, people feel like I’m interfering with their freedom. Certainly, I do have much to learn, though, in many areas. I recognize God may be attempting to teach me something through other people, as well. I do feel that I’m learning a lot from you, and from the other ladies who usually comment on my blog.
Well, regarding your question about the verse from Deut. 22:5, here’s what I think. If God tells us to do something (or NOT do something) only one time, well, what of it? He shouldn’t have to repeat Himself over and over to make Himself heard, should He? For example, it appears that God only warned Adam ONE TIME to not eat of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. I don’t see that warning repeated over and over; once is good enough. And when Adam disobeyed that simple command, there were consequences.
Another example: if my earthly father tells me to do something, let’s say “make your bed,” only once, does that mean that I am not bound to obey him because he didn’t repeat his command a minimum of three times? What would my father think if I disobeyed him because he didn’t repeat himself enough times for me, especially considering that his directions were VERY CLEAR?
In a similar fashion, God may not choose to repeat Himself many times regarding a specific matter, but especially when His command is VERY CLEAR we have no excuse for disobeying. He is God, and everything He has revealed to us in the Bible is HIS WORD, even the littlest verse, and HOW DARE anyone teach others to disobey the word of God in ANY POINT, no matter how small it may seem, if God has not specifically told us that the matter has been fulfilled and that we are no longer bound to obey it? I see no where in the Bible where God says, “It’s okay for men to wear women’s clothes, and for women to wear men’s clothes.” Just because this command is in the Old Testament doesn’t mean we should ignore it. God says that it is ABOMINABLE to cross-dress. That word should clue us in to how serious the matter is. If something was DETESTABLE and DISGUSTING to God several centuries ago, why would that change now? Homosexuality (which often involves men dressing like women, and wearing makeup, etc.) is just as disgusting to God then as it is now, because it goes against NATURE. Women usurping men’s roles, and putting on the clothes that go with those jobs is just as disgusting to God then as it is now, because it goes against NATURE. As we’ve seen in 1 Cor. 11:1-16, the outer appearance DOES MATTER to God, because it can reflect profound spiritual truths.
Another consideration is the fact that the Hebrew’s clothes were NOT the same for males and females. There WAS a difference, contrary to what some people may assume (“they all wore robes”). I will quote a section from ILLUSTRATED MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE BIBLE, edited by J.I. Packer and M.C. Tenney (p. 482):
“The Hebrew woman’s outer garment DIFFERED from that of the man. It was longer, with enough border and fringe to cover the feet (Isa. 47:2: Jer. 13:22). It was secured at the waist by a girdle…The front of the woman’s outer garment was long enough for her to tuck it up over the girdle to serve as an apron.” (emphasis added)
So, even though their clothing was SIMILAR, it was not the SAME. There were certain distinctions that, whatever they may have been, were expected to be observed.
Now, like I said before, God did not say, “Women must wear skirts and dresses only, and men must wear pants.” I do think we must use our own good judgement, and I believe there are VERY GOOD REASONS for choosing to wear skirts and dresses instead of pants. However, because the issue isn’t that clear, I don’t look down on Christian women who wear pants. However, we must not despise the word of God, and throw out one verse because it seems unimportant to us. EVERY word of God is important. The verse from Deut. 22:5 is so CLEAR that I don’t see why anyone would have a problem with it. Women shouldn’t look like men, and men shouldn’t look like women–well, that seems so obvious to me, that why is there even any dispute about it? Like I mentioned before, men dressing like women is a sign of homosexuality. We’ve all seen it, haven’t we, and we can distinguish a homosexual man from a straight man almost instantly in many cases. And women begin to dress more and more like men when they do the jobs of men, such as being in the army, being a court judge, being a priest, being head of a business, etc. In this case, it may not indicate homosexuality (though I’ve also seen women that were obviously gay and dressed like men). Mostly, it indicates that women aren’t happy with their God-given roles. Because, like I pointed out to Irina, women started wearing pants in North American and European culture because they were making a statement. They were using their clothing as a way of communicating to the world that they did not want to obey God’s word regarding gender roles. Disobedience was what led our culture to eventually accept pants-wearing for women, and here we are today…
Thanks for your question. Please let me know what you think; I’d love to hear it!
Jessica
P.S. I couldn’t download the Whats app because my phone doesn’t have enough storage space. But you’ll be back home soon, right? I hope you have a good trip!
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Thanks Jessica! I loved reading this article. I am so happy that God is raising women like you, who use the Word of God as the only standard on how women should dress. If God says wearing man’s clothes is an abomination, then this ought to be an abomination for ALL Christians.
I would like to encourage my fellow Christian sisters – do not let natural elements such as rain, wind and the cold e.t.c. influence your obedience towards God. My experience is, where there is a willing heart, there is always a way by God’s help. I live in Germany – where temperatures can get to -10°C in winter. I once used the cold whether as an excuse to wear trousers, but God taught me otherwise. I soon learnt that despite the cold temperatures, I could still keep warm whilst wearing long skirts and thick socks/stockings
May I add that the same God who commanded us to dress modestly and not to put on man’s clothes, is the same God who made winter and the wind. God would never ask us to do something if He knew it to be impossible. Personally I think all excuses we use – to disobey God’s word, is a result of a heart that is not willing to obey God.
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Thanks, Esther!
Well, I agree with you that “where there is a willing heart, there is always a way by God’s help.” Exactly right! Thanks for telling us about your experiences with the cold weather in Germany. I’ve heard of women wearing sweat pants under thick skirts, and saying that it is actually MUCH WARMER than wearing pants.
I respect women who are honestly trying to dress modestly, whether they believe they should wear skirts and dresses only, or they believe it is okay for them to wear pants. I appreciate that they are making an effort to be modest.
However, let me share an experience that I’ve had. One woman I know changed from pants wearing to exclusive skirts wearing. Now, she always wore pants fairly modestly to begin with. Nevertheless, it came as quite a shock to many people to see her wearing only skirts and dresses all of the sudden. They asked her husband about it once, and he commented that a good change had come over her, and he attributed it to her wearing skirts and dresses. He said she was more respectful of him and more feminine in her demeanor. She grew out her hair, and stopped wearing makeup, but she always looked neat and nice.
I liked that change. I thought she did look much more feminine, and the simplicity was very becoming. Without the makeup, her features seemed fresher and more open and honest (though of course, she is an honest woman with, or without her makeup). This lasted for maybe a year, or two.
Then, she went back to wearing pants again.
She still looked nice. Her pants weren’t extremely tight. Her makeup wasn’t too thick. But I was so disappointed. She didn’t look as FEMININE. There had been something about those skirts and dresses that had made her look so SOFT and SWEET. Pants didn’t do that for her. And I noticed that even though she didn’t wear tight pants, I could still see the outline of her bottom when she moved. I had never seen that when she had worn skirts. Even though she wore makeup discreetly, I missed seeing her eyes so pretty just the way God made them–so…straightforward.
This taught me something: Modest skirts and dresses DO make a woman look more feminine. They do something to ACCENTUATE HER FEMININITY that pants just can’t do. After this experience, I became ever more decided that I would ALWAYS wear skirts and dresses only.
I don’t know whether her attitude changed along with going back to pants. I just know that I preferred seeing her in skirts. She looked so much more LIKE A LADY.
Here’s another experience that I’ve had: I was shopping at the grocery store the other day with my girls, and one of the managers discreetly stopped me, and complimented me on our happy-looking group. He said that he could tell by our smiles that we were a happy family. “Thank you,” he said, “thank you.” I was confused. Thank you for what? For being happy? He seemed hesitant at first to say, but then he commented, “Thank you for dressing like FEMALES.”
I think there are men out there who APPRECIATE seeing women and girls dress like ladies in skirts and dresses, and they would like to see more women do the same. I was pleased that someone had noticed and had taken the time to compliment me on this choice, because at times it can be discouraging when almost no one around here dresses in skirts and dresses only.
Thanks for your wonderful comment–have a blessed day, Esther!
Jessica
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Thank you for this post, I have been struggling with this issue for a while. I really feel led to wear skirts only, but unfortunately I work outside of the home (due to large debts incurred before becoming a Christian), and I am required to wear pants. This makes it so difficult because then, when I go out somewhere after work, like shopping ect. I am also wearing pants. The only solution I have been able to come up with is to wear baggy pants with long shirts or sweaters to cover me. I still have many pairs of skinny jeans and since I do not want to spend more money or be wasteful, I just make sure my backside and other parts are fully covered. It’s the best I can do. I have often wondered if I could get an exception at work for religious reasons, but it doesn’t seem likely.
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Dear Corinna,
Thank you for your comment! It’s always good to hear from other ladies about their own experiences with dressing modestly.
It seems to me that if you are trying your best to be modest, that is good enough. However, here are a few points that pop up in my mind.
I have found most of my skirts and dresses from Goodwill, a second-hand store. So, I can buy a skirt for $2.50, and a dress for $5.00 (on the 50% off sale days). That’s not expensive, is it? It may be possible to find skirts and dresses at yard sales for even less.
When I first started wearing skirts and dresses, I saved a couple of my skinnier pants, to wear under some of my shorter dresses. I thought it looked cute. But, I noticed that when I sat down, my short dresses got pulled up all the way to my upper thigh, revealing a lot more of my legs than I wanted! Even though I had pants on, they were form-fitting enough to still show the shape of what was underneath. Also, I felt that there might be too much of a temptation to go back to wearing pants if I kept them, so I just got rid of all of them. Then, I was FORCED to make skirts and dresses only work for me. And it has!
I think that if you wear loose-fitting pants, and a long shirt over them to work, that would probably be modest enough for now.
Yet, perhaps you might consider something else:
It is understandable why you would want to work to pay off your debt. You did not mention whether or not you were married. If you ARE married, you might want to consider what you can do to stay home instead. Yes, this would create a greater burden for your husband, but the Bible teaches that it is the husband’s job to provide for his family, not the wife’s.
To the man, God says (please note the male pronoun):
“Let HIM who stole steal no longer, but rather let HIM labor, working with HIS hands what is good, that HE may have something to give him who has need” (Ephesians 4:28).
and
“But if anyone does not provide for HIS own, and especially for those of HIS own household, HE has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).
But to the woman, He says:
“Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, MANAGE THE HOUSE, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully” (1 Tim. 5:14).
(this isn’t just good advice for widows, but for all women, as the next verse shows…)
…”the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things–that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, HOMEMAKERS, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed” (Titus 2:3-5).
I hope this has been helpful to you, Corrina. I understand that your situation is not my situation, and that you are doing your best to make things work out, and for that I commend you! I hope you read my observations from my own experience, and from the Bible, with the knowledge that my motive is to help you if I can!
I hope all the best for you, and thank you, again, for your wonderful comment!
Jessica
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Jessica,
Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply. Sadly, my life is so complicated I would have to write a book here to explain it, but long story short, before giving my heart to the Lord a couple of years ago I made A LOT of very bad choices in my life and I would say I was one of those women who spent a lot of time in a man’s role. I was in the military, I work in a technical field with all men, and I also spent a lot of years going to school for what I thought were really important degrees. Making money was very important to me, and I never even knew who God really was or who I was suppose to be. I am married now to a wonderful Christian man, and while we both struggle with the desire for me to be able to stay home, it just isn’t possible at this time. We do pray that if it is Gods will, that a path will open and a solution will present itself.
I often wish that I had been raised Christian so I could have avoided all of those terrible mistakes so that I could be living the way God desires women to live now, but I also try to see myself as an example to others of the miraculous transforming power of Jesus. He took a woman such as myself, an atheist who mocked God and religion, someone who was pretty much a feminist and a woman who treated men as inferiors, and transformed me into a beautiful daughter of the Lord who desires with her whole heart to obey Him in all things. I may have lived for far too long according to my own will, but God uses all things for his Glory, and perhaps my life and my story have a good purpose after all!
But you have shown me that where there is a will, there is a way (especially if it is God’s will)! Sure, I have to wear pants to work, but who is to say that I cannot wear a skirt over them? It’s something I can try maybe. And thank you for the suggestion of Good Will, we actually have a store called Savers that I buy my skirts and dresses at, it is pretty much the same as Good Will. I do try to be as frugal as possible because we are trying to put every penny towards our debt, but I don’t think a few more dresses and skirts will make much of a difference.
Sorry for such a long comment! I am just so happy to have found your Blog! You are so very inspirational….I have so much more I’d like to discuss with you, especially head coverings, as 1 Corinthians is the book I have been studying lately and that is a very confusing topic. If you don’t mind maybe I will head on over to one of you posts on that topic and comment about that there. Thank you for listening, and for your encouragement.
Your Sister in Christ,
Corinna
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Dear Corinna,
Thank you for sharing more in-depth about your life story, and your current situation. I feel privileged that you would care to talk to me about it! I certainly appreciate your warm-hearted compliment.
I feel impressed to hear about how your life turned around from being an “atheist who mocked God and religion” to a woman who loves God and desires to live for Him!
Sometimes, when something is made clear to us in the Bible (such as the wife’s place caring for the home, bearing children, and nurturing them from within the home), our first step should not be to understand how doing so will “work out for us” before we take that step of obedience, but should be to obey God right away (somewhat blindly) and trust the details to Him, knowing that He will make everything work out somehow.
I don’t know all the details of your situation (though thank you for sharing with me a portion of your story!), so I don’t want to tell you what to do! However, this way of looking at things might be worth considering (obedience first, BEFORE understanding).
I hope all the best for you and your husband, and I’m so happy to meet you!
Jessica
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Well written story. I think you have a great fashion sense and look super cute in your outfits.
About three years ago I got a job at a fast food restaurant. They presented their uniform as having pants… and no other option. It was stressful to decide if I should speak up or not. I found the courage to ask if their was a skirt alternative, but there was not. I told them it was against my religious beliefs to dress that way, fully expecting to lose that opportunity, but to my surprise he said I could find my own skirts at my own expense that matched the color of the pants. He also agreed to keep me off the Sunday work schedule!
It just seems odd that in many facets of the world today we almost have to beg to be able to wear a skirt!
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Well done for standing up for your beliefs !
I often find it amazing that a garment worn by every woman for thousands of years in very tough times and for very hard work is now suddenly considered impractical and in some cases inappropriate.
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Oh, thanks!
I’m so impressed that you stood your ground as far as wearing skirts at your job! I’m so happy that it worked out for you! You know, I saw a nurse at the hospital not too long ago who was wearing a calf-length skirt, and who had long hair in a french braid. This was the first time I had ever seen a nurse dress like this! I assume it was because of her religious beliefs, and I was impressed by her, too!
It does seem odd to me, too, that by now, wearing a skirt is something that is not acceptable in many places, when not too long ago, all women wore skirts!
Jessica
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The most rewarding part of my wearing a skirt to that job was that by the end of my first month, two more people had joined me. We never grew more than the three of us, but it was wonderful that our employer respected us and our values.
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Oh, I’m so happy to hear that! It’s so great that two others joined you–maybe God used you to be the one that would give them the courage to stand by their convictions, too. We always need someone to go first, even though that person usually feels all alone at the start…
Jessica
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I just found this chat at the right time (praise the name of GOD) in my country their is no restrictions or rather i would say my background did not give me a chance to think twice about modesty. I thought it was normal to dress anything till i gave myife to christ last year and all i want is to follow him and serve him with all i got. I am from Africa,kenya and this topic is not oftenly discussed.But latly i have been thinking about modesty been a christian teenager now i feel obligated to follow what christ says..thankyou for explaining it in details for i din’t know where to stand.
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Hi, Cynthia!
I’m happy to hear my article about modest dress was a help to you. May God bless you modesty journey!
~Jessica
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