The Importance of Learning to Dress the Part
My mom always referred to my wardrobe by the activity the clothes were intended for...play clothes, church clothes, school clothes....so naturally, as I was growing up I added my own references: work clothes, going-out clothes, cleaning-house clothes, fat clothes... not that 'fat' is an activity...maybe I should have called them my eating-too-much clothes.
My first real job was in a department store. I worked in the Junior Department. I loved that job. I made friends with other employees, and the question was always, "What department are you in?" Shoes. Dresses. Lingerie. Misses. Men's. Perhaps a more effective way to organize a store would be by activity.
But today, as I begin a new year with the hopes of fitting back in my "not-eating-at-all clothes" (see yesterday's blog), I was thinking about what to put on this morning. It occurred to me that the world now lovingly refers to athletic clothing as 'Activewear.' Which, in my estimation includes everything sold at the local mega-sporting goods store...everything from hunting gear to Speedos, golf attire to yoga pants. Active wear. Surely putting on something ridiculously tight and confining would motivate me to get active. Sure. Running away from every mirror and every person I see.
Does that mean that anything else is Inactive Wear? As in, sitting-on-my-bum-watching-television clothes... The very wearing of those clothes should promote laziness, right? I guess that makes sense, if you believe that everyone who wears yoga pants is actually headed to or from yoga class. Ha.
We have to admit that it is beneficial to dress the part for whatever the activity is we are planning to do. A job interview demands the right outfit as much as a trip to the beach requires the right swimsuit (and a cover-up with which to hide it!) It would be crazy to show up for a fitness class in the job interview outfit - so I've never fully understood why some people show up to job interviews in their gym clothes...assuming sweat pants are indeed gym clothes...seems like now days, they fall squarely into that inactive category.
Even in the Bible, we can read about dressing for the part. Whether it was priestly garments or grave clothes, it is important to know what to wear for any occasion. In Ephesians 6:11, we are instructed to put on the full armor of God each day (think of it as spiritual Spanx.) But my favorite wardrobe advice in the Bible is found in Proverbs 31: 25 (HCSB):
How do we clothe ourselves with strength and honor? In what department would you find those items, hanging on a rack?
2 Samuel 22:33 says that "It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." Nehemiah 8:10 explains that the joy of the Lord is our strength, and in Psalm 28:7, David writes that "The Lord is my strength and my shield..." Safe to say, that God has the best selection of strength - guaranteed to fit each of us.
When I think of honor, I think of a judge. A person sworn to tell the truth and live a life of integrity...being the same person, whether with a close friend or in a crowd of strangers...sticking to their beliefs and letting their actions speak in the absence of explanation. It's a high calling to be clothed in honor. I imagine that a woman clothed in honor would keep her shoulders back and her chin up, no matter what the situation was. She would be the polar-opposite of a drama queen.
It's vital to our success as godly women that we dress the part. The start of a new year seems like a perfect time to clean out your 'closet' and do a little wardrobe make-over.
Be blessed!!
My first real job was in a department store. I worked in the Junior Department. I loved that job. I made friends with other employees, and the question was always, "What department are you in?" Shoes. Dresses. Lingerie. Misses. Men's. Perhaps a more effective way to organize a store would be by activity.
But today, as I begin a new year with the hopes of fitting back in my "not-eating-at-all clothes" (see yesterday's blog), I was thinking about what to put on this morning. It occurred to me that the world now lovingly refers to athletic clothing as 'Activewear.' Which, in my estimation includes everything sold at the local mega-sporting goods store...everything from hunting gear to Speedos, golf attire to yoga pants. Active wear. Surely putting on something ridiculously tight and confining would motivate me to get active. Sure. Running away from every mirror and every person I see.
Does that mean that anything else is Inactive Wear? As in, sitting-on-my-bum-watching-television clothes... The very wearing of those clothes should promote laziness, right? I guess that makes sense, if you believe that everyone who wears yoga pants is actually headed to or from yoga class. Ha.
We have to admit that it is beneficial to dress the part for whatever the activity is we are planning to do. A job interview demands the right outfit as much as a trip to the beach requires the right swimsuit (and a cover-up with which to hide it!) It would be crazy to show up for a fitness class in the job interview outfit - so I've never fully understood why some people show up to job interviews in their gym clothes...assuming sweat pants are indeed gym clothes...seems like now days, they fall squarely into that inactive category.
Even in the Bible, we can read about dressing for the part. Whether it was priestly garments or grave clothes, it is important to know what to wear for any occasion. In Ephesians 6:11, we are instructed to put on the full armor of God each day (think of it as spiritual Spanx.) But my favorite wardrobe advice in the Bible is found in Proverbs 31: 25 (HCSB):
"Strength and honor are her clothing; she can laugh at the time to come."Imagine if the Bible had a 'Black Bar' section...you know, the DON'T photos that show us what NOT to wear... if Proverbs 31:25 is the DO photo, then Psalm 35:26 offers us a glimpse of the DON'T. ("...may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace.") Being properly dressed with strength and honor allows us to live a life free of anxiety and worry. And no one wants to live a life fraught with fear and dread.
How do we clothe ourselves with strength and honor? In what department would you find those items, hanging on a rack?
2 Samuel 22:33 says that "It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." Nehemiah 8:10 explains that the joy of the Lord is our strength, and in Psalm 28:7, David writes that "The Lord is my strength and my shield..." Safe to say, that God has the best selection of strength - guaranteed to fit each of us.
When I think of honor, I think of a judge. A person sworn to tell the truth and live a life of integrity...being the same person, whether with a close friend or in a crowd of strangers...sticking to their beliefs and letting their actions speak in the absence of explanation. It's a high calling to be clothed in honor. I imagine that a woman clothed in honor would keep her shoulders back and her chin up, no matter what the situation was. She would be the polar-opposite of a drama queen.
It's vital to our success as godly women that we dress the part. The start of a new year seems like a perfect time to clean out your 'closet' and do a little wardrobe make-over.
Be blessed!!
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