Dress for Success!

Clothes play a huge part in my life. From what I am going to where, to washing clothes, drying clothes, hanging clothes, folding clothes, it is mind consuming. There are kids clothes and how they end up on the floor, or clothing in drawers that have grown too small, constantly needing replacement. If you really think about how much time and energy we put into it all, it is exhausting! We even shop for clothes, trying them on, finding the right fit, choosing the right color.

In fact just now, my son came home from a sleepover and I realized the underwear and socks were never changed. (He is eight. I really didn’t expect anything different.)

Last night, as I came home from a Christmas banquet, exhausted, heavy eyed, and sore from the amount of tight spanks and stockings under my dress, I excitedly headed for my bed, anticipating cozy pajamas and warm blankets. Instead there was a heap of clothing piled up from hours earlier as I was getting ready. I couldn’t find anything I liked or Christmassy enough. I settled on black and again, spanks. The whole sight of this heap of clothing made me angry, frustrated, and more tired.

Then I paused.

I started to wonder if I put more emphasis on my dressing of the outside and little on the clothing of my heart and mind.

To add insult to injury, I woke this morning and began to read Colossians 3. In the text, Paul is telling us to put off such things as anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, and filthy talk.

Ouch. 

He continues to say that we need to put on mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, and love.

Double ouch.

When I left my room last night, I knew exactly what I was wearing. I checked to make sure my dress wasn’t tucked into my tights… a valid fear. I also checked that my shoes matched, my earrings were on, and that my slip wasn’t showing.
But not one time did I check that my patience was glowing or my love was oozing. I didn’t take off the anger I had at a situation that didn’t go my way that day. I carried out the door my pride and hurt feelings instead of forgiveness and humility.

God help me to pay more attention to what I cloth my heart with than my body. Though it is important and sometimes fun to look nice and dress up, it is far more eternal what we adorn out mouths with, such as kind speech, than our lipstick match our shoes. It sets the stage for the day not when we coordinate our outfits with perfection, but when we lay out our souls in the morning, before we even leave the bedroom, and access what needs tweaking.

My prayer is that today and from now on, I walk out of my room fully clothed, both heart and body.