Modesty

I found this great blog entry this morning and wanted to share it. It makes modesty look beautiful, just the way God intended it to be. So many girls think that they have to show off their body to get attention, but it is in keeping it a secret that draws the right kind of attention. It is in the power of allure.

The Allure of Sexual Modesty from The Purple Cellar by Lydia Brownback

Sexual purity in tandem with modesty is actually more appealing than blatant eroticism--a truth that young women today are skeptical about. Ponder these words from Daniel Heimbach:

What exactly is there in sexual purity [in a woman] that makes it magnetic? What about it is desirable? . . . She has the allure of unique value. She has the allure of someone valuable to be around. . . . She has the allure of someone possessing a great reputation. . . . She has the allure of dignity. . . . She impresses people, not because she is pushy, loud, or brash, but because everywhere she goes, people sense that she is special. Her quality is something others sense without needing to have it explained. What allures men, stirring them to love, romance, sacrifice, and commitment, is her character. This is the sort of woman who, when she is still single, men are drawn to, because her alluring purity says she is truly extraordinary. They desire a relationship with her. They want intimacy with her, including a physical relationship. But the power attracting them to her is not lust but longing for a partner who is exceptional, trustworthy, great to be with, successful, admired by others, and always impressive. Men treat her as special because she truly is special. . . . Modesty is how a woman tells men, "Exclusive intimacy with me is worth everything you have. It is worth lifelong commitment because it is worth your life, and to win me a man had better be extraordinary himself."Lust attracts fans at the cost of dignity and admiration. Modesty inspires fans to admire the performer, while lust reduces the performer to performance and focuses fans on themselves. . . . Sex within God's boundaries is powerfully attractive in a way that is lost once you take it out of bounds. Abiding joy, genuine satisfaction, exemplary honor, and pure allure are profoundly valuable, but they are not hard to understand. Follow God's rules and you will like the results. Obeying God is very worthwhile.

These are words not just for young women, however. They are words for all of us, whatever our stage of life.

True Sexual Morality: Recovering Biblical Standards for a Culture in Crisis, Daniel Heimbach (Crossway, 2004), 248-50.