{introduction} God desires for us to treat ourselves with dignity. He believes we are worth taking care of and wants us to reflect the same attitude towards ourselves. For me, this came in the form of clothing, but for each of us, it is different. What is important is that our heart is to cherish and treat with care God’s creation, which in this instance is ourselves. With that introduction, this is the vision and download God imparted to me.
{vision} I saw a woman putting a fine scarf over her shoulders. The scarf was the color of a purple iris, and I sensed this symbolized a mantle of royalty.
When I received this vision of a woman clothing herself with a fine scarf, it brought to mind how Holy Spirit has often encouraged me to take greater care in how I dress. It has been a repeated lesson throughout my life, and it has always been a vehicle for restoring my sense of dignity.
I remember the first time this lesson arose. I was dealing with a chronic illness at the time, and there seemed like there was no end in sight. Anyone who deals with a chronic illness knows that sometimes it’s just easier to stay in your pajamas or sweats all day. And particularly if you stay home all the time, there seems to be little point in “dressing up.”
However, I remember the thought that stirred in my spirit one day: if I could accomplish nothing else each day, at the very least I could get up, get dressed, and do my hair. And so that’s what I did. Even if I was staying home all day and did nothing else but rest, I made an effort to at least dress myself and do my hair every day. Sometimes I would even put on jewelry if it was a better day.
Over time, I was amazed at how this simple practice helped my mood. As a result, it’s a practice that has stayed with me ever since. Even though I had good and bad days physically, I realized a part of me felt neglected when I wasn’t making an effort to cloth myself properly. We may not realize it but loving and caring for our outward man, communicates something to our inward man.
Just as children will feel neglected if their parents don’t attend to their basic needs, the same is true for us as adults in how we treat ourselves. We can feel unloved and devalued when we neglect ourselves. Sometimes in saying, “It’s just not worth the effort,” we actually believe, “I’m just not worth the effort.”
The difficulty is that in some areas of Christendom, all emphasis is placed on our spirit man, often to the determent of our outer man. We are called to be humble versus ostentatious. We are warned not to give in to the lusts of the flesh. And while it is very important that we not let the flesh rule over us, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 calls us to glorify God in our body as well as our spirit. So the key is that we must find balance in walking in humility without completely stripping ourselves of our God-given dignity.
In Exodus 28, as part of His instructions for the building of the tabernacle, God commands Moses to make holy garments for Aaron and his sons. Scripture says that these garments were for setting Aaron and his sons apart (consecrating them), and they were for “glory and beauty.” Here the priests of tabernacle (and later the Temple), the spiritual leaders of Israel were invested in garments that were meant to set them apart and reflect the importance of their spiritual status!
I don’t bring this example up as a call for us all to go out and make special priestly garments for ourselves. For now, I am presenting it as part of a challenge I sense from the Holy Spirit. We are kings and priests in the Kingdom of God, and we are also the living tabernacle of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit is challenging us to search our hearts and our lives—what are the areas where you have been neglecting to care for your outer man, your home, your possessions, maybe even your family in a way that reflects the heart of God?
(Note: Again, this challenge isn’t confined to how one dresses. Let Holy Spirit lead you to identify which areas of your outer life that you may be neglecting and have fallen into disrepair. He knows your heart best and knows what there is grace for you to address. For example, He may be nudging you to wash your car on a more consistent basis, or replace worn furniture or appliances in your home, or pamper yourself with a new skincare routine.)
Through the Spirit, our Heavenly Father has bestowed “glory and beauty” upon us. We have a royal investment as sons and daughters of the Most High. God loves and values us. And while our Father asks us to walk in humility, we must take care to discern the difference between humility and degradation in our outer life. May our hearts be stirred to live and care for ourselves with the same respect and honor that we would give others in the kingdom of heaven.
Exodus 28:2, 40 (NKJV) “And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty…. For Aaron’s sons you shall make tunics, and you shall make sashes for them. And you shall make hats for them, for glory and beauty.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV) Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit [who is] in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
[ “For Glory and Beauty” originally posted on Waiting in the Wings, reposted in its entirety with permission.]
Beautiful!