Ahhh, summer. The time to relax, unwind from stress and hit the beach. Warm, snowy sand.... salt water lapping at your ankles... the sun glazing your body with UV rays...

And swimsuits. Lots and lots of swimsuits...and topless men... and bikinis.

I've always wondered why some women like wearing waterproof lingerie so openly in public; what they are trying to really accomplish? If they would actually be so brazen to otherwise wear nothing but a bra and underwear out in the open like that (my guess is they'd be directed to a strip club...), I'm sure they wouldn't be looked at all much differently. But don't misunderstand; this isn't a judgement post (at least, not by ordinary definition.) I respect the fact that people make choices everyday, some good, some, well, more... questionable. This is about modesty, both internal and external, for both guys and gals (and yes, I personally believe it "takes two to tango" when it comes to resisting certain temptations.)

When God first put the world in motion, when He first created man and woman, He made them in the nude, BUT (key word) they were unaware of that fact, being originally created as sinless beings (Gen. 2:25). It was not until they sinned against God, and brought sin into the world, that things went downhill and they realized their mistake -- and their nudity (Gen. 3:7-11). No matter how some people act like nudity's still not a big deal, that it's natural (which it is, but that's besides the point), the sad fact is that we no longer live in the Garden of Eden, but in a fallen, sinful world where often a very different mindset has arisen towards nudity, modesty and immodesty, etc. When men generally see nude or scantily-clad women, ladies, they often think thoughts that would make us run for the hills in the opposite direction if we knew what they actually were (I've read/been told so many times that it doesn't take a lot for a guy's mind to hit the gutter -- fast.) It's harder for us ladies to empathize because we're not as visual, but I've heard that guys strutting around shirtless (especially with abs and pecs out the kazoo) doesn't help our integrity any, either. We have indeed fallen too far from that beauteous Garden. Modesty is often viewed as prudish by many in this secular world and an immodest culture has been almost thoroughly embraced. So a question arises:

What are we to do about all this -- how can we reassure people that they needn't place their value solely in their bodies? How can we steer them from an attitude that could seriously hurt them?

To do something, we must first analyze the situation... from the inside out instead of from the outside in. The way I see it, it's like a diet -- what you eat, what affects your body internally will eventually show up outwardly. If you eat poorly, you can get all kinds of nasty diseases -- scurvy, for instance. But if you take care of yourself, your body will more than likely flourish and people will notice. It is the same with modesty. Modesty starts inwardly, with thoughts, feelings and attitudes towards both one's self and towards other people. For instance, there could be a couple reasons a young woman dresses immodestly. Maybe she feels pressured by the crowd to do as they do, and/or longs for friends and to fit in -- so she does. Maybe she's feeling overconfident in herself and doesn't care what others think of her -- both at their expense, and, unknowingly, at her own -- so she does. Or maybe she's feeling insecure but wants to feel better about herself and her body, so she goes about it the wrong way, exposing way more skin than she'd be comfortable with ordinarily. These are inward, psychological reasons for very outward behavior that directly affects their appearances, and, if we address these, they will affect how we see -- and dress -- ourselves outwardly. So here's some things to remember:

Modesty isn't just what you wear -- it's an attitude of the HEART. It's reflected in how we act, in how we speak, if we're humble, kind, have good self-esteem and work on building ourselves and others up instead of breaking them and us down. It's about what we visually feed our bodies (certain media, certain TV shows, and certain movies... cough... "Fifty Shades of Trash"...cough...), as well, according to Ms. T.M. Gaouette of Project Inspired ( http://www.projectinspired.com/10-truths-about-mod...).

Be aware that your modesty/immodesty -- both inward and outward kinds -- actively affect others around you, whether good or bad. Ladies, be considerate of men's visualness, and think before dressing up to go out in a place where there will be a lot of them (plus, you never know where pervs/sickos could be lurking...) Guys, kindly try to avert your eyes when an immodestly dressed girl walks by for her sake as much as yours, and yes, you can dress modestly/immodestly, too. I've read/ think that too-tight tees (the ones guys sometimes wear if they wanna show off their muscular physique) or being topless aren't exactly what I'd call being modest (just putting that out there for future reference, though it doesn't happen TOO often, thankfully.). Remember to be humble and kind and serve others.

Modesty is about respecting God's Temple. I don't really think this hit me head-on until this summer, when I fully realized I wanted to lose weight for the wrong reasons -- to draw attention to myself and to look good. God made me realize that my body is actually hosting His Holy Spirit; it's His Temple, His Sanctuary. It is a holy, sacred place, not meant for violation or to be vandalized or scandalized, but rather to be viewed as something special. Paul states in Romans 12, verses one and two: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your true and proper form of worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will" (NIV.) He again emphasizes and clarifies this in his first letter to the Corinthians, who lived in Corinth, an ancient city well-known for its sexual immorality (and most likely almost everyone dressed immodestly), saying, "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." (1 Cor. 6:19. NIV.) We are God's; our bodies in fact don't even belong to us. Think of it this way, if a famous master artist or sculptor lent you, a museum curator, a beautiful piece of artwork for your exhibit, how would you treat it? Would you treat it with utmost care and heighten your security so no one would try to steal or vandalize it? Or would you take advantage of the artist's/sculptor's generosity, and trash it or steal it for your own private collection? Many people unfortunately choose the latter, and it saddens God greatly to see His beautiful handiwork get tarnished. This is why this realization is so important for us all.

Modesty is about serving God as well as others. Our actions reflect our nature and character as Christ Image-Bearers. Before slipping something over your head as you roll out of bed first thing in the morning, ask yourself, "What would Jesus think?" Be a good witness for Him and for God both in attitude and in dress. Remember, with some people, YOU and YOUR LIFE may be the ONLY Bible they will get to read/come in contact with.

All in all, character modesty and appearance modesty tend to go hand-in-hand; one often affects the other. Knowing this and reacting appropriately can help us to properly assess how we can use what God has been gracious enough to give to us, to help further His Kingdom and leave His Mark on the world -- forever.