Before I officially begin today’s post, I have to confess I have never been super into fashion. Through most of high school, I wore big baggy shirts with jeans. In college, I wasn’t much better. And makeup, until my mid-twenties, was always touch and go. I have always believed that what is most important about a person is what is on the inside. But recently, a podcast I listened to got me thinking about the importance of what we wear, so here we go:
The guest on the episode I was listening to that day, was a personal stylist. During the show, the podcast host asked the stylist what advice she had for the listeners. She said:
“Dress the way you want to be addressed.”
In other words, think about how you want people to see you and therefore, treat you. Then, dress accordingly. She went on to say that when we meet someone, it only takes them nine second’s to form an opinion about us.
Nine seconds.
Meaning our appearance truly is our most effective way to tell people who we are—at least initially. And on this point, I had to agree that what we wear matters. But as I continued to listen to this woman talk, I was reminded of a story about clothes and success, with a somewhat different message. The surprising part is it’s the story of David and Goliath.
Even if we’ve never stepped into a church, David’s victory over the Philistine Giant, is one we’ve probably heard. In movies and TV shows, it’s almost always mentioned when an unlikely hero faces a seemingly impossible foe. But the part of the story that often gets skipped over, is David dressing for battle.
In the story, before allowing a shepherd boy to go and fight a nine foot giant on behalf of his entire nation, the King of Israel outfits him for battle. He gives David his own tunic, he puts a coat of armor on him, and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastens on a sword, and tries to walk around in them. Until finally he says:
“I cannot go in these…I am not used to them.” (I Sam. 17:39b)
Then he takes off ALL of the armor. He grabs his staff, his slingshot, and five smooth stones, and goes out to meet the giant. When Goliath looks at David like he eats bigger than him for lunch, David tells him that God is on his side. Then with the first stone he slings, David takes him down.
David went out into one of the biggest battles of his life, dressed completely as himself. He didn’t rely on what all the other soldiers were wearing to try to put fear into Goliath. He didn’t wear the king’s armor to give him the confidence he needed to fight. Rather, David was sure both in who he was, and who the God he served is. He didn’t need a magazine or stylist to tell him how to dress for battle, because he had already figured out all of these things in His relationship with God.
In our world today, it’s hard not to find someone like the stylist on the podcast, telling us that what we wear matters. We need only to open up social media or watch TV to see or hear it. And it’s true that what we wear can affect how people view us, and therefore affect our advancement. But David’s story reveals to us an even deeper truth about “dressing for success.”
True success looks like going into battle as ourselves, not dressed as a King or warrior. It looks like relying on God and who He made us to be, to fight the battles only we are meant to wage. So though we may need to consider how we want others to address us, we need to also make sure that who we present, is us in the first place.
David, took off all of the armor because it weighed him down. It would have held him back from doing what he was meant to do. In our world, it can be very tempting for us to dress like someone else. To portray to others that we are someone we are not. But when we do this, it keeps us from being the very people those around us need us to be—ourselves.
As we begin this new year I want to invite you to take off the armor you’ve been borrowing. Put aside whatever is holding you back from being yourself. And go into the battles of your life, exactly the way you are, confident you are meant to fight them.
Has “dressing for success” ever felt daunting?
What would it look like for you to go out into battle, completely yourself?
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Yes! I enjoy this take on it. Since I began working from home, I definitely wear my pajamas most of the time. But when I go out, for the most part, I try to represent my husband. I don’t always do a good job. But I also, like you said, don’t want to be dressed as someone I’m not. Thank you for the reminder to be myself—represent well, but be myself.
“David went out into one of the biggest battles of his life, dressed completely as himself.” Such a good word, Melissa!
OK, I love this quote, “True success looks like going into battle as ourselves…” For me sometimes the battle is trying to look like everyone else or be prepared for other’s expectations. Well, when you put it this way that changes the strategy completely. This post is so freeing!! Thank you!
Yay! So glad, Krishana!
Love this. A lot to think about and chew on. Thank you, Melissa!
Sometimes clothes can be like armor, can’t they? We can hide behind the latest fashion, trying to make ourselves feel like we’re as good as the women we might compare ourselves to. We do need to learn who we are and who God made us to be and dress to show that person!
Absolutely, Heather. The pull to try and dress the way we think others will like vs. in a way that reflect who we should be proud to be–is really strong. Thankfully, David’s story shows that God has another way.
Good thought-provoking word!