Every now and then, despite the fact that I have ample clothing in my closet – I will stand, blankly staring at the rack of clothes before me, sigh, and say aloud to myself – “I have no idea what I am going to wear.” How complicated can it be?
Gone are the days when, as a young girl, my mother would lay out my outfit for the day, and all I had to think about was making sure the ‘tag was in the back.’
Clothes are important – we all need them – and not just to ‘cover up.’ Oh no – clothes are so much more than basic covering for our bodies. For instance, we use our garments to communicate – as in when we are attempting to make a good impression during a job interview, first date, or business meeting. Some seek significance and a sense of worth as they don their favorite labels – and wouldn’t be caught dead in anything but the very best. Many communicate much about their personalities – whether they intend to or not – simply by the types of clothes they choose for themselves.
We seek comfort from our favorites – those scruffy sweatshirts and jeans or beloved pajamas. These familiar ‘friends’ wrap us up in softness and warmth, chasing away our stress.
It goes without saying that whether we put a lot of thought into our wardrobe, or just throw something together and go – we all clothe ourselves in something. Clothing is a basic – like food, water, and shelter.
Sometimes we stress over what to wear, and perhaps sometimes we stress over whether or not we will have something to wear.
Jesus said, ‘Don’t worry about what you will wear.” He talked about the lilies of the field being splendidly clothed by the Father, saying, “How much more will He clothe you.” This lets us know that God sees clothing as one of our basic needs and that He intends to provide for us in this way.
But there’s another scripture that talks about clothing. It’s found in Paul’s writings in Ephesians – where he says, “Put on the full armor of God.” Paul challenges us to purposely put it all on so we will be appropriately dressed and ready for life.
One of my very favorite ‘clothes scriptures’ is found in Proverbs 31. Verse 25 tells us, “she clothes herself with strength and dignity.” So many times we want others to lend us strength. We look to others to respect us enough that we feel dignified, when in reality, it is God who imparts a sense of dignity and worth that we might clothe ourselves.
God has promised to provide the actual physical raiment we need each day, just as He has promised to feed us. However, He is not going to come and put our clothes on for us – He has not promised to dress us. That’s our part.
When standing before the clothes rack, pondering what to wear - which of the varied textile garments one chooses on a given day is all about personal preference. Those other items – the full armor of God, and strength, and dignity – are absolute must-haves for every spiritual wardrobe.
They’re laid out for us, but we must put them on – everyday.
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