How to Glorify God in the Summertime

Well, everybody, summer is finally here! If you guys are anything like me, you’ve been waiting for summer since the last one ended, and cannot wait to get back into the rhythm of doing pretty much nothing. Personally, my summer has already gotten off to a great start: I’m writing this on Thursday (definitely procrastinated this), and so far I have gotten up early, made a smoothie, went on a walk, and did a workout with my tennis team. It was a really great day, and I hope that this is what the rest of my summer looks like when I am not off at Camp Carl serving and hanging out with everyone there. However, I know that there will probably be a lot more time watching Netflix than I am comfortable admitting, so just know that that definitely exists.

Now that we are entering the realm of hot weather and the sun actually giving us warmth, I decided to share with you guys some ways that you can be glorifying God this summer and not wasting the few months of freedom you have, because a lot of you guys are probably going back to school in the fall, whether it is middle school, high school, or college. These are all things I am trying to reach for this summer, so it would be great if we all as a community try to focus on God instead of trying to look and act perfect for yourself and the people around you.

Modesty - “Modest isn’t Hottest, but its Holy”

Right now, you are probably thinking, “Oh no, Mallory. Are we really going to go there already?”

Yes, yes we are.

I heard this phrase a few months ago, and it has still stuck with me to this day, and you could say it has become my motto for how I dress and act with what I am wearing. It has guided me to stay appropriate with what I am wearing and who I am wearing it around.

And before I go any further, I want you to know that this isn’t just for girls: guys can also struggle with modesty, even though it probably looks different. So if you’re reading this and you’re a guy, don’t skip this, because everybody can learn from this.

So, I was curious what the actual definition of modesty was, so according to Google, modesty is “the quality or state of being unassuming or moderate in the estimation of one's abilities”. Basically, modesty is being humble about what you can do and not being prideful in what you have. I had heard the word modesty a lot before, especially when talking in a Biblical sense, but reading the actual definition of it helped me to understand a lot more of what it is.

When we are being modest with our clothes, we essentially are not focusing our style on showing off our body. A lot of the time, I see modesty in things like wearing a high-neck swimsuit when you go to the beach, or not wearing shorts that cover a lot less than you know they should. One big thing I’ve learned about modesty is that it is very different for each person. Some people can wear crop tops and be perfectly fine, but other people feel like in order to be modest, they should wear a lot of baggy clothing. I learned once that the reason that modesty is different for people is because modesty concerns the mind way more than it concerns the body.

Weird, isn’t it? However, it does make sense. Immodest people choose their outfits based on what they think makes them look hot, and they debate which shirt makes other people find them more “sexy”. It is all about how they can manipulate the minds of others with what clothes they wear.

Now, I’m not saying every immodest person has a really bad mindset for what they wear, but at some point or another, we have all dressed a certain way to impress someone or to look cool. Let’s face it, when you like someone, the world tells you it is natural to dress up for them and be nicer. There’s nothing wrong with that, until you start compromising your love of God with your desire to fit in. Next time you put on an outfit, and you can feel God whispering, “Why?”, take a minute and think about what your motive is. If you are trying to impress someone, clothing is not the way to do it. People don’t like you for what clothes you wear or how you do your hair! The people I love the most are the people with beautiful personalities, and I find them wholeheartedly beautiful because their inward radiance shines out. Plese, don’t spend your time working on your outward appearance, because the heart is what really matters in the end. “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

While brainstorming different kinds of Bible verses that mention modesty, I found an interesting pattern. The majority of the time clothing is mentioned in the Bible, it isn’t focused on physical clothing, but rather on the clothing of our heart. For example, Proverbs 31, a very famous chapter of the Bible, says this about a woman who fears the Lord: “strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come” (Proverbs 31:25). Obviously, we can’t actually wear strength and dignity, but these are qualities that our heart can have. If we are strong and carry ourselves in a dignified way, then our heart will shine through and will reflect onto our actual, physical clothing. When we train our hearts to be more like God, we will naturally want to dress modestly and honor our body. How cool is that? So next time you struggle with being modest, focus less on the clothes and more on your mindset. This way, you can see more changes that last really long, and you will find that you hold yourself in a way that is modest and humble. This then morphs into the clothing you wear, and helps you become truly modest from the inside out.

Another really cool verse I found is 1 Timothy 2:9-10, which says “likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness-with good works”. When we bear good fruit that is holy and acceptable to the Lord, it is a whole lot better than having a really good fashion sense. Things such as humility and kindness are what truly last, while our clothes, makeup, and hairstyles quickly fade. So, this summer, when it is time to break out the swimsuits and shorts, be mindful of where your heart is at, and be in continual prayer to God to help keep a pure and modest mindset about what you wear and your intentions with your clothing.

Practical Tips for the Summer

• Keep your body moving! Every day, either go on a walk or do a quick workout. If you go on a walk by yourself, please make sure you are taking precautions and staying safe, but don’t forget to have fun! I’m learning right now that getting some movement in during the morning may feel like a hassle, but it totally changes the rest of my day. It also keeps your body healthy and functioning well. Don’t forget to drink a lot of water!

• Stay in God’s Word every day. This one is super important! Whether you start your morning on a prayer walk, or dive into a new chapter of the Bible, it is important to maintain your relationship with God and continue to get to know who he is and how he has changed your life. It has been a little difficult lately for me to find the motivation to do it some days, but I promise it will be the best part of your day.

• Try new things! You may have seen it, but I created a summer bucket list full of new things that I want to try. Either create your own, or do some of the things with me: I would love to spend time with all of you!

• Start a journal: I know I mentioned this in my last blog post, but this is HUGE! It doesn’t have to be anything big, but this is a total game changer when it comes to my mindset. Ever since I started journaling in the winter, I have become so much more joyful because I am able to connect what is happening with what I have learned in the past, and I am grateful that God has let me reflect in such a cool way. It is also very inspiring to read back on my past journal entries, to see how much I have grown and to review how God has helped me overcome different obstacles in my life.

I am so grateful that summer is finally here, and I cannot wait to see what it has in store for all of us! Stay safe, and I will hopefully be seeing you soon!