How to dress for Success

(photo credit: floridatrend.com)

Mrs. Sweetie and I were having lunch recently when we got a good chuckle.  A young couple was at the register to pay their bill.  The man was wearing a t-shirt that said, “Tattooed AND Employed.”  Good for him!

I have heard the following advice many times: “Dress for the job you want, not for the one you have.”  That reminds me of a fellow student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in the 1980’s that wore a suit and tie to class every day to show that he was serious about his studies.  I wasn’t that serious about studies.  About God, yes.  About studies, not enough to wear a suit and tie every day.  Even in my years as a pastor, folks pretty much knew that if they saw me in a suit and tie on a weekday, someone was deceased.

As I was leaving for my first interview with the team that was selecting an Executive Director for Harvest Baptist Association (my current job), Mrs. Sweetie said, “Are you wearing that?”  My response: “Yep!  I don’t want this job.”  Of course, now that I am 6 years into this job that I really love, I know that I would have made a much worse impression if I had worn a suit and tie.

There are at least three truths about me and clothes.  One is that I probably have more clothes than the average man. I’m not sure why and I don’t spend much time worrying about it.  The second truth is that probably 90% of my clothes came from thrift stores or garage sales.  I do require that my underwear comes in an unopened package, but pretty much everything else is open. The third truth explains both of the other two: I would rather spend my money on other things besides clothes.  This is why I have 10 golf shirts that cost me a total of less than $50 instead of 1 that cost more than $50.  And if I wear a different one every time I play golf, those 10 shirts will last me for about 15 years before I start repeating.

Did you know that the Bible talks about dressing for success?

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." (Ephesians 6:10-18, New International Version)

The job that I want is not so much about location as it is about preparation.  Our lives matter so much to God that He is more interested in our success as Christ-followers than our success in the job market.

Now that I have my “under armor,” which previously owned shirt looks good for today? 

Question: Can you think of some practical ways to put on the armor of God?

Leave a comment below.  I'd love to hear your ideas.