The elderly members of the church question the modesty of some people – especially in the part of women – in this day and age. How they dress in the past is totally different than the clothes that are being sold in department stores nowadays.
There are a few out there who reason that the way we dress when we go to church does not make God love us more than he does, neither does the best folding tables and chairs define a church’s worth, but it shows our personality and spiritual maturity in a very intense way. When others look at us, they judge us by what they see and how we dress. Whether it is unfair or not, that’s just how it is sometimes. The Bible advises Christians to be “no part of the world”, therefore instructing them to be humble with how they act and dress. If a Christian dresses in skimpy clothing, they can be a stumbling block to others in the organization and may send the wrong message to men.
People also don’t make negative comments about women who dress modestly, but won’t resist saying undesirable things about those who dress provocatively. In the real world, most women who wear tight tops and short skirts make people think they are easy to get or are just looking for “adventure”. No one can ever see them as candidates of a serious relationship. Among Christians, a strict dress code is not necessary but common sense and discernment should be used in this area. When going to a place where you worship God, why would you want to draw attention to yourself and have people sin when they talk behind your back? Surely you wouldn’t like that to happen.
In some churches, women are allowed to go on stage to demonstrate an encouraging experience in the ministry or to sing songs that bring praise to God. These women should be a good example to others when behind pulpits or just sitting on the church chairs. Dressing appropriately for church shows that a woman is spiritually mature and ascetic; immodest clothing does not bring glory to God and also does not edify anyone.
Beautiful clothes that can be worn without offending anyone abound in the market. The media promotes sexiness all the time, giving people the wrong idea of what it means to be truly attractive. A woman can be covered up in jeans and long-sleeved shirts and still look striking. A pastor constantly encourages the women in his congregation to “dress to please the lord so as not to be mistaken as a woman of the world.” Women should be conservative because modesty is one trait of a true Christian.
The Importance of Modesty in the Church Environment