There is a right way to dress! As a woman, I enjoy shopping for clothes and wearing nice things. As a mother, when my children were still at home, I can always remember wanting my children dressed in nice clothes too; I didn’t want them wearing shabby clothes. Coco Chanel made this statement, you dress shabbily, and you’ll notice the outfit. But you dress impeccably, and you’ll notice the woman.
A few years ago, as I was preparing for a ladies meeting, the Lord began speaking to me about my dress. But it wasn’t about my dress from the physical standpoint. He was talking to me about my dress from His standpoint. The Bible is very clear about things we are to put off and put away from us; it also tells us certain things we are to be clothed with and put on.
Colossians 3:12-14 Message translation says, So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
My mother-in-law has a saying, never be without a white shirt in your wardrobe. When I saw this verse in the Message translation, her saying came back to me—LOVE is the white shirt!
Every day we need to get our Bibles out and dress ourselves because God has a wardrobe that far exceeds anything we could put together. As a woman, wife, mother, and grandmother, I endeavor to dress in a way that pleases my Father God.
I once had a man tell me, what you throw out there is what is going to come back to you. In other words, what you sow, you will reap. Are you sowing mercy? Are you sowing kindness? Are you sowing compassion? Are you sowing love? If you are, then you are dressing the way God desires you to dress, and there will come a time when what you have thrown out there towards others, will come back to you!
I love the wrap up to these instructions that the Holy Spirit gave us in Colossians 3:15 (AMP), And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts (deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state)…
There is a peace that comes and acts as an umpire for your life that you can FULLY TRUST when you are wearing the clothes God has set out for you to wear.
When we refuse to take off the things he tells us not to wear—anger, malice, wrath, etc., we are giving out a shabby look for our Father God. But when we dress impeccably, endeavoring to please Him and honor His Word, people will notice Jesus.
This is especially important in the home. I know it is easy to slip up and let a family member “have it” every once in a while, but guard yourself against that. Determine to keep those clothes off and continually put on what the Bible tells us to put on—bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, and longsuffering. As you do this, not only will you experience peace and victory, but those in your household will experience it as well.
As mothers, God has given us a great responsibility, and with that responsibility comes great rewards. To all the mothers out there, I pray you have a wonderful Mother’s Day, surrounded by those who love and honor you.
Proverbs 31:25 says, Strength and honour are her clothing: and she shall rejoice in time to come. You are strong, and your time to rejoice is NOW!