On Clothes

… for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ…

If we are clothed in Christ, does it matter what else we wear?

This may surprise you, but pastors talk a lot about what they should wear. Some wear a robe in worship; others don’t. Some wear casual clothes all the time; some wear dress clothes. Some wear sport shirts; others wear clerical collars.

It really is quite a topic of conversation. And not entirely extraneous.

Do you think about clothes, what you will wear? What do your clothes say about you?  Does what you wear influence who you are or what you think about yourself? When you get dressed for the day, whether for work or play or worship, how do you decide what you will wear? How do you decide what you won’t wear? What do others think about what you wear? Does it matter? Should it?

They say, “Clothes make the man.” I think there is something to that.

PRODUCTIVE FOR SERIOUS THINGS

Athletes give great attention to what they wear for the game. Football players, golfers, swimmers all dress in ways that maximize their effectiveness “on the job.” Whether it is eye black or golf spikes or way too small swim suits, athletes dress with a desire for significant success.

What does it mean for you to dress in a way that will give an edge or a nod to success? When you head off for the day, do people know what you are serious about? Are you dressed in a way that makes it more likely that you will perform well? I once had a mentor who said, “Dress for the next job you want.”

PREPARED FOR FAMILY INTERACTION

How does how you dress show your family that you are serious about enjoying and serving them? Women may want to look nice for their husbands. Is there any good reason for a husband not to look nice for his wife? 

How does your attire show your children that you are ready to engage with them? When our kids were little, whenever I came home from work, even if later I had to put my “work clothes” back on to return to the church for an evening meeting, I would change into my play clothes. I wanted my children to know I was fully ready to engage with them. Serious play time calls for serious play clothes.

READY TO HONOR GOD AND OTHERS

When one of our children was sworn into the bar as an attorney, a very nice lady judge did the honor.  We met at her court room for a very momentous and august occasion. Our daughter was going to become officially sanctioned by an officer of the State to uphold the law of the land. Big stuff.  And in honor of what was to take place, the judge came out not in street clothes, not in a fancy suit, but in her legal robe. She was dressed in a way that said, “Something bigger than me is happening.” Her attire helped her and us to be mindful of what was at hand.

When a friend marries, when a grandparent dies, when a colleague is inducted into a hall of fame, we dress in a way that shows honor and respect for the person and for the occasion. Our attire helps us to be mindful of what is at hand.

Surely, God rejoices anytime we appear before him for worship. Surely, God is not diminished if we appear before him in our play clothes. But just as surely, dressing in a way that honors him, that reflects our estimation of his glory, helps us to be more mindful of what or Who is at hand.

PERSONAL COMFORT

Is it wrong to dress for personal comfort? Of course not. But like all the rest of life, we do not define our actions first, foremost, or even primarily in terms of self. While we do not need to go out of our way to be uncomfortable (shoes too small, collar too tight) when we dress for work, play, a night on the town with our spouse or worship, we should consider others ahead of ourselves. 

If clothes make the man or woman, what do your clothes make you? This may be more important for progress on the path toward significance than you realize.