Did you know God is interested in our wardrobe?
There was a time in my life where I had barely enough money to immediately cover my living costs. I learned what were essentials and what were non-essentials. But God kept me beautifully dressed!
I was given four dresses from a friend in my size, my style, and my colours. I felt like I was living like a pauper but I walked around looking like a million dollars.
A young sales guy came to my door one day and said, “It’s only the price of a coffee a week. Everybody can afford that, right?” I looked at him, pinched lipped, and said, “ah, nooooo. Not everybody can.” I could barely rub 10 cents together. The notion of buying a coffee out was a luxury and I resented the fact other people could take it for granted!
But God cared. He clothed me. I loved wearing those dresses, though it made me wonder if other people wondered how I could afford them! (Little did they know.)
When Isaiah 52:1 says, “Put on your garments of splendour, Jerusalem,” he’s not exactly talking about beautiful dresses! He’s talking about something much, much better.
God cares about what we wear, but it’s not so much the material garments we like to fashion ourselves in. He speaks about something lasting and virtuous. He cares about how we’re perceived because He cares about what’s in our hearts.
If you've ever studied the bible to see what God tells us to put on, what He tells us not to put on, and what He tells us to exchange, you'll know how illuminating it is. Proverbs 3 in the bible tells us how having the right outlook can even bring health to our bodies.
There are so many scriptures that tells us about God's dress sense, I’ve put a link at the end of this article for reference.
Essentially, God’s clothing has an everlasting effect. His clothing is not dreary, but dynamic. It’s not painful, but purposeful. It’s not heavy, it’s heavenly!
Do you know what that means? It means, while we may not take any other worldly possessions with us when we pass on, God wants us to carry our entire wardrobe with us!
This is what we could imagine He says when we get up in the morning:
Good morning! It's time to get dressed. What will you choose to put on today? Why don't you take that garment of defeat off and exchange it for victory? It’s so much more colourful. Wash off that disappointment and grief and try applying some joy instead. It’s much lighter to wear. If you feel you need some protective clothing, try this armour on. It has an added benefit of preventing stains. Put on positivity instead of negativity – and why choose despair when my promise of hope takes the creases away? Unity is more comfortable than the one-size-fits-all divisiveness comes in. If you would try belief on, you’d see that destructiveness is sloppy and turmoil is restricting. Perseverance is more becoming than failure. Put on this armband of encouragement. I can scrub off that critical tattoo, and while you’re at it I want you to throw away sadness. Here's a cup of gladness for you to take as you go. You'll be parched without it.
Now that you’ve had a drink… put this stud on your tongue. It might help keep you quiet sometimes instead of lashing out.
One more thing - it's important. I'd like you to change those names you keep stashed in that bag you call your heart. You are not deserted or useless. You are wanted. Don’t you know, you’re made in my image? You have purpose and joy buried somewhere under these layers. You must have misplaced them, but I’ll help you find them again. Do you know I have special name for you? Delightful. And so that you always know you have a home, I've given you a title to my land. You've had it since before you were born. The land is called Beulah (that means married). It’s not far away. Follow my road map and I’ll meet you there when the time is right. There’s a road map in the bible if you care to follow it but I will always meet you right where you’re at. There’s a crown of life I have for anyone who chooses to put it on. From now on, would you try dressing this way? You’ll see how much better it feels.
Above everything else remember one thing. I love you. Put my love on, because that will bring your outfit together perfectly.
You look gorgeous! Now, remember who you are. Don't forget!
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