There are days when I feel like I am a bit on the struggle bus with how I am clothing myself. I know I am not alone here – at least in this house, because there are days when my spouse or my children are seeking input about how to put together the right clothing for the occasion. In some cases, especially with Hannah, I will have to have conversations not so much about the outfit she has put together, but rather about how come wearing shorts, a tank top, and flip flops on a sunny – but 32-degree day – isn’t the right choice.
The Bible has something to say about how we are to clothe ourselves. I was reading out of 1 Peter 3 today. Verses 4 & 5 say: “You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. This is how the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They put their trust in God and accepted the authority of their husbands.”
I don’t know about you, but I desire more than just about anything I can think of to be found beautiful in the eyes of my God. I want to be clothed in what He desires me to be clothed in. I want to be transformed by Him, out of my sinful nature and into a holy one. I want to be found as the bride, ready and prepared for her bridegroom.
Sometimes our circumstances sort of trick us into putting on other things. Much like Hannah attempting to wear flip flops in the freezing cold, I attempt to clothe myself for the day as if my knowledge about the day alone is sufficient. I think about times when we have been invited to events and we aren’t really sure what to wear. Is it a suit and tie kind of event? Is it a themed attire type of thing? We don’t always know, do we? And when we don’t know, what do we do? We seek someone who does know. We look to the invitation, created by the one inviting, or we reach out to them directly.
I don’t know what your day holds. I don’t. It is my hope that your day will be calm and somewhat easygoing. I am not preparing for an easygoing day myself. Before you think I’m just being a “negative Nancy” or a “Debbie downer,” I want to say that there are some seasons of life where you are in the midst of battles. I am there.
This year has been hard. I am burning the candles at both ends. My aunt went on to heaven in January and since then, my family has been inundated with funeral planning and the settling of her estate. She was a collector, and her house was full. It has been a job done most weekends, which leaves little to no time to get survival tasks (like laundry and grocery shopping) done. During this time, we have learned that a family member has been stealing and pawning family heirlooms like both of my grandmothers’ wedding rings, amongst other things. It’s been heartbreaking and is currently without resolution. The items are gone. Irreplaceable. It hurts my stomach. At work, I have had children making death threats, punching others, harassing others with horrific name-calling, and most recently learned of an issue where a student had touched another inappropriately on more than one occasion at school. If that weren’t bad enough, in most cases the families become very defensive and angry. Instead of being able to engage in a conversation and problem solve the situation, they resort to yelling, name-calling, and threats of lawsuits amongst other things.
How does one dress for that?
I love that God is with me in the midst of this garbage. I love that my God loves me and gives me encouragement through his word. “Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the LORD turns his face against those who do evil. Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as LORD of your life. And if someone asks you about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.” (1 Peter 3:11-16)
I know what to do – I need to do good. Despite the evil around me, I choose God’s directive. I will continue to clothe myself in the garments that he provides me with. I will continue to work for peace. I will continue to pray and seek the LORD. I will face those who do evil, and I will not be afraid of their threats. I will worship my God in the midst of the awful. I will speak boldly, gently, and respectfully about my God and Savior. I will put on the armor of my God, and plant my feet firmly upon his faithful promises.
Friend, we have to clothe ourselves properly. This is the way we make it through each day. This is the proper attire for the event.
Blessings.