Defining Modesty

I read a blog this morning calling for a return to a sense of modesty in the church. As I perused the comments, I realized what a highly-charged topic this is! Some commenters were unfair to the author by accusing her of judging others. Others suggested that the culture determines the definition of modesty. Some commented that only God could show individuals what to wear. Of course, many agreed with her, decrying the revealing clothing they frequently see, even at church.

How should we define modesty?

God's "No"

My dog Libby has been on limited activity for eight weeks now from ACL surgery (see blog of 1-17-11, “I Don’t Always Get It”).  One of Libby’s favorite pastimes is watching TV on alert for other animals, particularly dogs. When they show up onscreen, she goes crazy, impulsively jumping up on the chair nearest the television and barking furiously at them. Right now when I have her with me and an animal appears, I scream “NO!” and grab her collar to hold her on my lap. Twice she jumped off so quickly that I was unable to stop her—not healthy for her leg!

Similarly, I can imagine God watching and saying NO to my foolish or dangerous actions.