Let's Talk About Swimsuits!

Hello again!

Now it’s time to discuss the most drastic change I’ve made in the pursuit of glorifying God through modesty…swimsuits! There is so much to talk about; let’s dive in!

Our culture in the United States, virtually without question, accepts that when we swim, do water activities, or tan, we wear a typical swimsuit. For women, this essentially means taking off our clothes and wearing something as revealing as underwear and leaves almost nothing to the imagination. Think about it: even the “modest swimsuits” (tankinis (two-piece with longer top to cover some of the stomach), bottoms cut into short shorts instead of bikini style) are clingy, especially when wet, and expose A LOT of skin. Somehow, this is culturally acceptable. It is something we do without question and without reservation. But should we? Is it possible that Christians need to not agree with the worldly standards in this area and go in a different direction with the area of swimwear?

We have trained ourselves to think that when someone is wearing a swimsuit, they are appropriately covered. Really? Then why is it not acceptable to dress like that in a normal setting apart from some body of water? We don’t wear our swimsuits to Bible study or church. We don’t wear our swimsuits to a movie night with friends. When removed from its normal context, a swimsuit would easily be labeled as immodest. So are they really appropriate to wear ever? Why do our standards of modesty change so drastically, without question, when we get around the pool or the ocean? In general, I (and the girls I know who also maintain a good sense of modesty) would never be seen in such tight or so little clothing in any other setting. So why do we take off our clothes (in front of boys!) to swim?

Getting past the mentality that I had to stay within the boundaries of typical swimsuits was a struggle for me. Accepting the idea that I had to change and be different from essentially everyone else was almost impossible. However, by God’s grace, He is showing me another way. I once belonged to the world in this area, and it is something that I have come to regret tremendously. I had the “modest swimsuits”, and I also had the tiny two-piece. I thought, “I’m young and thin-I can and should wear what looks good!” Because of that choice, I allowed anyone who saw me to see most of my body uncovered, and the rest covered by little material. How sad. They did not deserve that temptation, my future husband does not deserve my previous exposure, and I regret that so many have seen so much of me. Back then, my attitude was one of great selfishness and pride. I wanted to draw attention to myself. At that time, I had a boyfriend, and I wore what I thought would be attractive to him. Where was Christ in all of this? I was glorifying myself, not Him. Ouch. I didn’t value His creation, my beauty as a woman, enough to save it for the man who would be my husband. It was available for the taking to anyone and everyone.

Even as I began to be convicted in this area last summer, I desperately fought the idea of changing. PJ can vouch for this-my arguing, crying, and sulking as we worked though this issue. I was full of the excuses-the same ones that I’ve heard from every person that I’ve talked to about this issue: “There’s nothing else to wear... It would be impossible to change… It’s not really necessary to change my ways... Swimsuits aren’t a big deal as long as they’re modest… If everyone’s wearing a swimsuit, no one’s going to notice me... Swimsuits aren’t a temptation to boys when they’re swimming” And on and on…but really, I think that these are lies of the world that we so readily accept. Being mostly naked in front of everyone (men) should be kind of a big deal to us as Christians. You are being noticed. Boys are looking. Married men are looking. Creepy men are looking. Old men are looking… We’re conforming to the world, but not to Christ. And believe it or not, we do have other options.

This is getting kind of long, so I’m going to break here and save the options for my next post. Before I end, though, I want to make it clear that I did not come to these conclusions on my own. This comes from a lot of prayer, a lot of hard talks and questions, and a tremendous amount of grace. I’m trying to be obedient to the call of Christ in my life, and I truly believe that this swimsuit issue needs to be addressed by other Christians.

Let me know what you think so far. The next post is coming soon!