Day 21 – I cannot believe I have wrangled blog posts for 21 days in a row, and if I actually make it to 31, it will be the amazing power of God working in me.
Clothing and Excess
“Consider your clothes. Most people have no need for more clothes. They buy more not because they need clothes, but because they want to keep up with the fashions. Hang the fashions! Buy what you need. Wear your clothes until they are worn out. Stop trying to impress people with your clothes and impress them with your life. If it is practical in your situation, learn the joy of making clothes. And for God’s sake (and I mean that quite literally) have clothes that are practical rather than ornamental. John Wesley writes, ‘As…for apparel, I buy the lasting and, in general, the plainest I can. I buy no furniture but what is necessary and cheap.'” – Richard J. Foster, “Celebration of Discipline
When I reread that quote recently, it hit me over the head. I grew up wearing mostly homemade clothing my granny made for me. Most of my life I have dressed simply and probably very boring. If you look at past pictures, I dress modestly and simply and I wore things until they had holes in them. I even wore clothing to work that was too big when I lost weight.
However, after having children, I began to pay more attention to my appearance, because it was radically changing. My shape changed. My hair fell out and was not as full as it used to be. It started turning gray. My skin was constantly red, and I suffered from low self-esteem. I lost some weight and began to pay more attention to my clothing. While I still try to dress simply rather than ornately, the past few years, especially, I have attempted to be fashionable. When I thought God was calling me to be a speaker, I paid more attention on my dress. Also, when I did speak, I was critiqued on my appearance. I only spoke the one time, so now I just dress to worship.
So here’s my two cents as a woman. Dress modestly and simply, but feel the freedom to play with the clothing you wear in order to allow your personality to shine and to showcase your unique God given design as a woman. Simple and practical does not have to equal boring.
However, consider how many articles of clothing you own. “Little House on the Prairie” is one of my favorite TV shows, and I often think how wonderful it would be just to have about three dresses to cycle between. My children alone sometimes have more than we need. For example, I save my oldest daughter’s clothing for my youngest daughter. When I pulled out our fall/winter wardrobe for Lisabeth, I realized I needed to pare it down and give some away, because it is more than enough.
What does Scripture Say?
Several months ago, a girl friend of mine sent me a link to a sermon by David Platt on women. You can click on the link to listen or read it. I was reading it to hear about women’s roles in ministry, but my biggest take away was that I dress to worship God. Our clothing should convey our worship to the King – whether in the way it is worn or the number of articles we own. <–Click to tweet.
“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful.” 1 Peter 3:3-5
“I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.” 1 Timothy 2:9-10
“My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, ‘Here’s a good seat for you,’ but say to the poor man, ‘You stand there’ or ‘Sit on the floor by my feet,’ have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” James 2:1-4
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Colossians 3:12-14
“Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.” Nehemiah 9:21
What does God wear?
I think what we wear and how we dress is important because the Bible continually tells us what God wears. Over the summer I was listening to Chris Tomlin sing, “How Great is Our God,” which says, “He wraps Himself in Light,” which led me to study God’s clothing. Here’s the list I made of the garments of God:
- splendor – Ps 104:1, Job 40:10, Ps 45:3
- majesty – Ps 104:1 Job 40:10, Ps 45:3, Zech 3:5, Zech 6:13
- light – Ps 104:2, Luke 9:29
- righteousness as a breastplate – Is 59:17
- helmet of salvation – Is 59:17
- vengeance – Is 59:17
- zeal – Is 59:17
- our gifts to the Lord – Matt 25:36
- crown of thorns – John 19:2
- purple robe – John 19:2
- glory – Job 40:10, Is 60:13
- honor – Job 40:10
- sword – Ps 45:3
- anointed with oil of joy – Ps 45:7, Is 61:10
- fragrant robes – Ps 45:8
- righteousness – Ps 132:9, Is 51:6, Is 61:10
- salvation – Is 51:6, Is 61:10
- strength – Is 51:9
- white – Mark 9:3
- radiant crown – Ps 132:18
This post is one in a series of posts of 31 days of Simplicity. To read other posts in the series, please click on the icon below:
Photo Credit: Sharon Mollerus
Linking up in these places: Michelle, Modest Mom, Ann, Laura, Better Mom, Carissa, and Laura.
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