Men and Modesty

I'm going to go out on a limb here. This past week I've read and researched modesty in Christian women. I've gained some insights and I've been encouraged as I've seen younger women take this issue seriously (I'm a mother of boys - I want them to marry modest girls).

I know the focus of this week has been about modesty in women. But something has been troubling me for a few days. Is there anything about modesty in men?

I don't mean about men guarding their hearts and thoughts when around women whose dress is inappropriate. I do realise that both sexes have a responsibility here (women to ensure they don't wear clothing that could cause a brother to sin, and men to guard their thoughts and eyes). As my DH has pointed out, in today's world so often it's hard for the male to know exactly where to look, which is why there has been so much emphasis this past week on women being modest. What has been troubling me though is the lack of emphasis on the male to also keep his body for his future wife.

I realise that Modesty Week has been about the female heart and body and I certainly wasn't expecting answers in the blogs I read. They had a different focus and that's as it should be. But I still had this burning question. I did a quick search online and all I could find about men and modesty was to do with men having an issue with the fact that nurses - mostly female - did not treat them as if they had any right to modesty. Interesting. I was a nurse and I do know that we never gave a great deal of thought to how our male patients felt about being cared for by an unknown woman.

So here are my thoughts on male modesty. Without any suitable resources I've had to rely on my own rather hazy thoughts. Please feel free to post your comments. I'd like to know if I've really lost it (if I have I'll just blame this head cold that's leaving me feeling dizzy at the moment).

Dress in private. As a teenager I was in the home of a couple when the husband walked from the bathroom with just a towel wrapped around his waist. Having grown up in a home where my father was always fully dressed and my sister and I were expected to be the same, I was embarrassed. When he stopped to talk to those of us gathered in the kitchen, I didn't know where to look. Twenty-five years, a stint in nursing, a husband and five sons later, a similar thing happened when I visited my son in the Christian hostel where he was staying. And guess what? I still didn't know where to look. I feel the same when a male removes his shirt in public. I know this isn't as big an issue as it is for the female, but there is still something intimate about a man not fully-dressed and personally I would prefer not to be exposed to the sight of it unless it's in my own home.

Swimwear. There's an ad on television here that shows a man in a skimpy swimsuit. As he walks from the beach to the town the voice-over says, "Swimwear ... swimwear ... swimwear ... underwear." Why is one accepted on the beach but not on the street? I think men can have a problem revealing too much just as women can. Be aware. And please check that those board/surf shorts are not see-through when wet.

Underwear. If men want to wear Scooby-Do underwear that's their choice. Unless it's hanging on the clothesline, I don't want to see it. Keep it hidden. And keep those pants up.

So have I lost it? What do you think? Please share your thoughts with me.