Raising children sometimes presents some pretty perplexing problems. I am one father who is very glad that the Lord is quick to help.

One day I was having some difficulty trying to convince my daughter why she should not wear short shorts. She was a teenager at the time and it was summer.

“Everyone else is doing it,” she told me.

My lecture on modesty was getting nowhere. I think ‘modesty’ at that time was just a word for ‘un-cool clothes’ to her. Then, thank the Lord, I got an idea.

“Come on, dear,” I said. “Let’s go for a drive.”

We got in my truck, ‘Old Mustard,’ and went downtown. As we approached the business district, I stopped – this was just about sunset – and I pointed up to a very large prominent sign advertising a local business.

“What does that say?” I asked.

She read what the sign was supposed to say.

“No,” I said, “look again. What does it really say?”

The sign was rusty and poorly maintained. Some of the lights on the letters were burned out, leaving the word that it actually spelled as nonsense.

She read the sign again, and giggled.

“Now, why is that sign up there?” I asked.

She thought for a moment and she – finally she said, “Well, to bring in business.”

Right, what they’re tying to say with that sign is “We are a high-classed place. Come do your business with us.”

“But,” I said, “what message are they really sending to the world through that sign?”

She thought about it, and then she said something like, “Well, not the message they’re trying to send; not the one they want.”

“That’s right,” I said, “What they’re really advertising by a run-down ill-kept sign is that ‘we are a run down ill-kept business. Don’t do business with us.’” Instead of soliciting respect, what they’re really getting is scorn and ridicule.

I looked to see if she was following me – and she was. Then I continued.

“You’re doing the same thing,” I said boldly. “Short shorts, immodest clothing, might not seem like a big deal to you, but it may be to the boys who see you. What are you trying to advertise? And the message you’re trying to send, is it the message you’re really sending?”

Well, that made her just a little bit indignant, as – as you can imagine. We talked about how immoral men and women use immodesty as advertising. Boy, about that time, she got the point. And even though that happened many years ago, she still reminds me of that incident.

Now, I bring this up because our world is using the body as ‘a billboard’ – no, ‘a weapon’ might be better. Immodesty is really nothing more than living walking pornography.

My friends, especially the young people, clothing really matters. As we are in our heart, so we wear on our body. When the Lord comes, clothing will be significant. He will clothe the faithful with the garments of praise and salvation. They will wear robes of righteousness. Those robes are tailor-maid by the Lord Himself, and they take a long time – even a lifetime – to get fitted just right.

If we’re out of style with the Lord, we’re just out of style. And if we’re out of that style, it may be nakedness and sackcloth for us when He comes.

Please watch yourselves now, and care a little bit more about covering our nakedness with the proper fitting clothes. Otherwise, there may not be a robe of righteousness to fit us when He comes. And that would be tragic – over something as simple as clothes.

Oh, and one more thing – about that business I was talking about: They have since gone out of business, and their building and their sign have since been torn down. Hmm.