The Proverbs 31 Journey: Dressing for God

Memory/Meditation Verse: ¹² God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So you should always clothe yourselves with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other, and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ Even more than all this, clothe yourself in love. Love is what holds you all together in perfect unity. ¹⁵ Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking, because you were all called together in one body to have peace. Always be thankful.¹⁶ Let the teaching of Christ live in you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and instruct each other by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ~ Col. 3 (NCV)

We have been looking at the Proverbs 31 Woman, most recently how she can hear the whispers of God. We discussed how she is so familiar with God she knows His voice and He is so familiar with her He entrust her with His work. We identified her daily ritual of cleansing that is manifested from what I referenced as saturation reflections-breathing in and living by the Word of God. This active process of seeking God and being so intimate with him also has another vital component...dressing for God.

She makes for herself coverlets, cushions, and rugs of tapestry. Her clothing is of linen, pure and fine, and of purple [such as that of which the clothing of the priests and the hallowed cloths of the temple were made].
~ Proverbs 31:22 (Amplified)

When the Proverbs 31 Woman steps up to her closet or wardrobe, she if faced with many challenges. What to wear...color...size...design....style? Can I so boldly suggest that she carefully selects from the Colossians 3 wardrobe?

¹²Clothe yourselves therefore, as God's own chosen ones (His own picked representatives), [who are] purified and holy and well-beloved [by God Himself, by putting on behavior marked by] tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, [and] patience [which is tireless and long-suffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper].

¹³Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive].

¹⁴And above all these [put on] love and enfold yourselves with the bond of perfectness [which binds everything together completely in ideal harmony].

¹⁵And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds, in that peaceful state] to which as [members of Christ's] one body you were also called [to live]. And be thankful (appreciative), [giving praise to God always].

¹⁶Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the Messiah) have its home [in your hearts and minds] and dwell in you in [all its] richness, as you teach and admonish and train one another in all insight and intelligence and wisdom [in spiritual things, and as you sing] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to God with [His] grace in your hearts. ~ Col. 3 (Amplified)

Before she even opens the door to her wardrobe, she knows she is loved...

“I have loved you, [just] as the Father has loved Me; abide in My love [continue in His love with Me].." John 15:9 (Amplified)

THEREFORE BE imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]. ²And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a slain offering and sacrifice to God [for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.
~ Eph 5:1-2 (Amplified)

and chosen...

For you are a holy and set-apart people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a special people to Himself out of all the peoples on the face of the earth. ~ Deut. 7:6 (Amplified)

You are My witnesses, says the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know Me, believe Me and remain steadfast to Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me.
~ Isa. 43:10 (Amplified)

But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God's instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.~1 Peter 2:9 (Message)

And as she reaches into her wardrobe, she takes hold of the undergarment of holiness and carefully pulls it over her head. She knows this covering will wrap her in her Masters love. Also on this particular day she may reach for a garment of compassion or a covering of kindness, knowing her outreach may be healing to someone in need.

Some mornings may require her to dress in gentleness or humility, keeping her in tune to God's direction for her life. And yet other mornings may require her to wear the covering of forgiveness even when the pain is great. Many mornings she will find her hand reaching for the garment of patience, for life tends to pull her from so many directions.

She knows that most days requires her to accessorize with grace, and mercy, and love. And nothing fits so well as the peace that only God can give. Before she leaves her room, she chooses that special fragrance, the fragrance of Christ which is the wisdom of the knowledge of Him flowing from her life and influencing those around her. She takes one last glance in the mirror and knows that she is beautiful in God's eyes!

But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. ~ 2 Cor. 2:14-15 (NIV)

This week, soak in the different versions of this Colossians 3 passage listed here below.

Col. 3:12 (Message)
Col. 3:12 (God's Word Translation)
Col. 3:12 (HCSB)
Col. 3:12 (NASB)
Col. 3:12 (NKJV)
Col. 3:12 (NLT)
Col. 3:12 (NIV)

Take one of the pieces of wardrobe mentioned in the versions of this passage: holiness, love, humility, gentleness, kindness, compassion, gentleness, meekness, forgiveness, patience, long-suffering, quiet strength, discipline and search out verses pertaining to it then dress in it beautifully for God. As you seek Him each morning in your quiet time, ask Him to speak...to choose the spiritual wardrobe He wants you to wear that day. Then go out in this world, beautifully dressed for Him.

Father, my Holy and Sovereign God, I thank you that I am clothe as Your own chosen one, hand picked for Your kingdom work. Only though you can I be purified and holy. I thank You that I am well-beloved by You. Whisper into my day the behavior, the clothing of Your choice for me. I know that in You choosing, You are equipping me, covering me, and marking me to be the fragrance of Your Son in this world. Beautify me for You and You alone. I choose to step into each day dressed by You and for You.

Living in His Embrace~Pamela