The Well-Dressed Christian Woman
**Read about a model’s journey to beauty: http://womentodaymagazine.com/lifestories/cralph.html
by Joyce Averils
“So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it” (Colossians 3:12-14, The Message).
For the past couple of weeks I’ve received several spring fashion catalogues in the mail. I’m pretty sure you may have received some too. The women are “decked out” from head to toe with color-coordinated accessories. The goal of these catalogues is to encourage you think about how you might look in the advertised fashions so that you will go out and buy them.
I like to shop just as much as the next woman. However, I’m careful to remind myself that while looking my best, I must not forget to make sure that I’m well-dressed spiritually too. Clothes may wear out, go out of style or no longer fit, but a beautiful spirit will last for eternity.
Some women have personal shoppers and stylists to assist them with looking their best. As a Christian, you have access to the ultimate stylist. Colossians 3:12 says that God has already picked out a wardrobe for you. You should dress in:
Compassion
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
Kindness
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).
Humility
“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2).
Quiet Strength/Gentleness
“Let your gentleness be evident to all” (Philippians 4:5).
Discipline/Patience/Long Suffering
“A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense” (Proverbs 19:11).
Your Heavenly Father is so awesome that He even provides you with an all-purpose garment even better than your “little black dress.” The Christian woman’s basic, all-purpose garment is love. No matter what else you put on, Colossians 3:1 says to wear love and you will always be one of the best dressed women in the room.
Love
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a).
My Challenge to You:
As you pack away your winter clothing and replace them with your spring and summer outfits, take a look at your spiritual wardrobe. Are you wearing the wardrobe God picked out for you? Is there anything that needs to be replaced? Does your all purpose garment need a little spring cleaning? Remind yourself daily that you can be a well-dressed Christian woman.
Questions: How can we keep our focus on cultivating inner beauty? Which virtue will you go out of your way to clothe yourself with this weekend?
Today’s Chat: Join us for a 15-minute chat about this devotional at 10:30 am Eastern, 7:30 am Pacific: http://www.christianwomentoday.com/chat/
© 2007 Joyce M. Averils
About the author: Joyce M. Averils, is a Bible Teacher/Speaker/Coach and author of The Busy Woman’s Prayer Journal – My Guide to Daily Communications with God. Get your free mini-Bible Study, “The Beauty Trap – Where Do You Get Your Self-Worth?” at http://www.RefreshYourFaith.com
14 Responses to “The Well-Dressed Christian Woman”
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Thank you, Fran. Those are very kind and encouraging words. I just hope I don’t sound as if I’m judging anyone. I just want to live for Him. I fail at times, too, but thanks be to God that He forgives and loves me anyway.
For Lana
You just did reflect HIM in your beautiful words! And He may be sending you into that building to radiate HIM!! Bet you glow when you walk in, too! He doesn’t care what we wear on the outward, of course, but our faces reflect Him when we’ve been in His Presence..and no garment can compete with that! You are exactly right! May He bless and bless!!!
What a sweet reminder this is for me to put into practice each and every day! How easily I forget to clothe myself to reflect God’s love and radiance! I struggle daily with this…and what makes it even more sad is the fact that the church I attend is full of arrogant ladies whose noses are in the air and only care about their outward appearance. If only they knew how ugly their attitudes make them appear to other Christians. I will pray daily that I will reflect Christ in all I do and say.
I struggled with this (LOVE) thing for a very long time for i did not love myself and it made it very difficult to love others even my own children for that matter. How terrible of a woman that i used to be but through the garce of god i have come a long way.
Had i known that i held so many disturbed things from my past deep within me and did my best to hide them all from the outward appearance only to have such turn out so terribly wrong.
I thank the Lord that he continues to spring clean me out no matter what the season may be and by doing so the true inner beauty of that real woman that he is changing me into is a much better one regardless of what i am wearing and/or lokking like on any given day.
How sweet smelling we become more and more as we allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us from the inside when something that we are doing and/or saying is stinking up our beloved love walk with Christ and this world.
Barb
Dear Lord, I pray that you will help me and my sisters to dress our spiritual selves in compassion by offering tenderness to someone we might otherwise not notice; in kindness by surprising someone with a tangible gift or the gift of ourselves; in humility by being a servant to someone else; in quiet strength and gentleness by acting as Jesus would in situations that may be trying; and, in patience by ignoring an offense and saying a prayer for the offender instead. Most importantly, Lord God, help us to wear love today by remembering that we are Your ambassadors, walking epistles, whose deepest desire is to draw others to You. In Jesus Name, I pray, Amen.
Great devotional this morning! I will print it out and put it in my bible for future re-readings and memorization. Dress me Lord in your clothes.
Help us all today, dear LORD, to use the same Agape Love you extend to each of us..to all those you place in our pathways today. Help us to have humility and kindness..the best “cloaks” in this world! Thank you for giving us the gift of Praise..and help us to start our days with that great Spiritual Tool to give the devil a “knock out punch” as our days start! Sandra is right! Let’s start Praising and Praying for your beautiful covering over our day before our feet hit the floor! God Bless ALL this day! And, thank you devotional writer for another good start! The inside beauty far more important than the outward and superficial!
It is amazing how that first thing in the morning before you get up prayer can do for the day and don’t you know that God is so ready to listen and is pleased that we come to him FIRST. I’ve started doing that each day and it has changed my life. Smiles are easier for sure.
Nothing like a well dressed lady inside/outside. Her children will rise up and call her blessed.
Honestly, with the demands of my life (Mother,Wife, Employee, etc) sometimes I struggle with being well-dressed on the inside, so before i sat my feet on the floor I start my day with , saying a prayer like this, “Lord go before me everywhere that I go today, may I be filled with the fruits of the spirit” “especially love”.
I know that I will be attacked the minute that i climb out of bed, with the cares of that day. Sometimes people can make it hard for you to love them.
The demands of the day, can often be draining, so i must memorize those verses and remind myself because i desire to have a testimony of a lady who dressed well on the outside as well as on the inside. Especially to my husband and my children.
This is what works for me, because it is not always easy.
I just have too many roles to play on a day by day basis. And prayer is the only way i can get through it. It works!
as i was walking through a ‘up in the air ritzy type of food market’ yesterday, I could not help but notice other women prancing past each other with their noses up in the air. I thank God for allowing me to see the shallowness and to desire to be inward and loving to all people including the checker.
Eleanor
It is very important to wear love. It is sad that we dress the outside well, and forget about the most important part, the heart, it determine how we treat our self and others.
I have to agree with REGINA, today I will go out of my way to wear GODS style of LOVE as well as every day for the rest of my life.
The old MAC DAVIS song says it all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will go out of my way to wear the GOD given style of LOVE today and every day for the remaining days of my life. As an old pop tune use to say, “What the world needs now is LOVE Sweet Love, that’s the only thing there’s too little of”. Only GOD can give us the true LOVE that we need to survive in this cruel and cold world.