The perfect wardrobe
She is clothed in strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. (Proverbs 31: 25)
My name is Sara, and I love beautiful clothes. There I said it. I’m a clothes-horse, and I’m not afraid to admit it. My work wardrobe is so large that it can’t fit in one closet. I probably have enough business apparel that I could go for months and never wear the same outfit twice.
Have no fear. I spend very little on clothing, and I never buy anything at full price. My two favorite clothing stores are Goodwill and JC Penney; so, that should speak volumes. While I formerly worked for someone who spent hundreds of dollars on single pairs of shoes, I’m happiest when I can use a sale coupon, rewards dollars, and clearance mark-down to buy a dress at a fraction of the retail cost.
I’ll never forget being complimented by a former employer, whose wardrobe would shame any A-lister, on a gorgeous sapphire blue dress I wore with matching shoes and earrings. My entire ensemble may have cost me a total of twenty-five dollars, but it looked like a million bucks. It’s all in how you wear it. Own it, I say. Beauty emanates from assurance.
Much more important to me than anything I wear on the outside will always be the substance of my inner spirit. My internal character determines how I will approach each day and is continually on display.
God promised never to leave me or forsake me (Deuteronomy 31:6). He is my strength and my defense (Psalm 118:14). God gives me fortitude and blesses me with peace (Psalm 29:11). He promised that He would be with me through fire and water (Isaiah 43:2). I take hope in His unfailing love (Psalm 147:11). His joy gives me strength (Nehemiah 8:10). He puts a new song in my heart (Psalm 40:3)
God’s faithfulness and the presence of His eternal compassion give me confidence. I’m clothed with His promises as I bathe myself in daily sermon podcasts. I ingest His Word through committed everyday Bible reading. I blanket my mind with contemporary Christian music in every possible free moment. These are the choices I make to sustain my sense of peace.
The love of God is much more important to me than any article of clothing I may wear on my body. God lifted me from the ashes and restored my spirit. He gives me assurance, contentment, and security. Nothing on earth can ever come close to the magnitude of Christ’s love for me.
As wall-art above my bed, I’ve fastened the vinyl letters of today’s focus verse. Each day, I see these words and smile, knowing that God made them real to me. Strength and dignity are my clothing, and I have no fear of the future. How could I when I walk with the confidence of Christ?
May you say the same, too, my beloved.
Christ’s love for you cost him everything. He paid for it with His blood. Own it. Wear it with confidence. Let it cover you with strength and dignity. Let God’s grace emanate from the inside out so you, too, may display the beauty of this internal assurance. It’s the single-best item you will ever possess and the only one that will matter in the end, anyway.
Once you put on God’s love, you, too, will be able to “laugh without fear of the future.” Clothe yourself with Christ’s blood, and you will forever own the perfect wardrobe.