Do I have to change my clothes?
Picture yourself changing clothes on a particularly cold morning …or in a public gym locker room …or waiting at the gynecologist office. Just the thought is uncomfortable!Most of us don’t want to strip down naked until we know exactly what we’re going to change in to.
When I am freezing and the goose-bumps on my legs feel like razorblades, I’m not going to undress and then run around like a package of frozen chicken thighs. No ma’am!
I want my outfit right in front of me beforehand. Especially if I have to wear that dinky smock at the OBGYN.
In uncomfortable circumstances, we’re not going to take off what is familiar and warm until we believe a change of clothes would be worth it.
So you want motivation to roll out of bed and take off the old self?
Then imagine this:
You reach over to turn off the alarm and find your outfit for the day, pressed and laid out for you. It’s beautiful!
Even though it’s nothing formal or glitzy, this outfit makes you feel prettier than you imagined feeling on your wedding day.
Dad gave it to you, and something about that just makes you feel loved.
Somehow, wearing it gives you an extra kick of strength. Something about feeling that good in an outfit makes you feel strangely at peace… and lighter.
Whether your plan for the day is to clean toilets and do dirty dishes, to workout or work the floors at the hospital, to teach your dog to pee outside or to teach a room of two-year olds to potty inside, even when it is your day off— this outfit is the perfect choice.
The funny thing is that you can’t see it, but people will notice you when you wear it. You’ll notice the difference too. Like sound waves, this invisible thing changes the atmosphere.
And like all beloved articles of clothing, it has a name too. You’ve got your dancing shoes, your painting shirt, your fat pants, your running shorts. This one… wanna guess?
It’s your garment of praise!
That, my dear, is a powerful way to get dressed in the morning.
Search your closet:
- Have you been rocking your garment of praise? If so, I’d love to hear some practical ways you do that.
- If not, what are you wearing instead? Why not take that old thing off and change into the one that brings out your inner glow!
Prayer:
Father, I’m sorry I have forgotten you. I don’t know how I got lost in complaint and worry, again. Bring me back to that place of joy and peace as I trust in you. Start me off in the morning. Teach me to get dressed in this garment of praise you have set out for me. Help me see that it is within my reach. I can’t believe I’ve passed up the most lovely thing in my wardrobe for so long! You are good. You are holy. You are for me. You are gracious to me. You are my God, and I will ever praise you.
Love, your girl
(Want more? Check out the Foundation page for scripture and media that inspired these ideas. That’s where the real treasure is!)