Our Sunday school lesson this morning was on a topic I’ve been meaning to write about for a while…
Sometimes I think I need a bigger closet….it’s not going to be on any of those tv shows that feature dream closets that look more like a swanky boutique, for sure!
As it gets warmer I have to swap heavier winter clothing out for a range of items that are more suitable for our back and forth Mississippi weather. Unlike my husband’s swap and done, my swap takes place over a few weeks (Men don’t have nearly as many options as we do… which can be easier but also more boring).
(I like having options and that can create problems, especially when I pack for a trip)
For example, he happened to see me moving my hangers with white pants on them from one of the other two closets to the main one and said, “How many pair of white pants do you need? These two are the same…” to which I (avoiding the original question) replied, “No, these are skinny leg pants and these are flares.” I didn’t stop to count but I think there are six pair, each one with a different feature or characteristic that makes it look better with a certain type of shirt.
Now I know that’s too many pairs of white pants and I am not going to buy any more because I have the range covered in my collection… one is dressy, one is capri- length, one is a peddle-pusher, one is a true bell bottom, and you know about the skinny vs. flare. In my defense, I wear almost every one of them during the course of the year except for the dressy one because we don’t really have formal occasions to attend that often anymore…but if we do, I’m ready! And I don’t spend a lot on my clothes or shoes; I shop around and buy many of them on sale. I like a good look at a good price.
I am trying to cull a few items every time I go through my clothes and I definitely do take out a piece of clothing I have when I buy a new piece. At least my collection is not getting bigger. I’m trying to do that with home items as well, replacing one item with another.
I could probably wear something different every day of the year or at least a different combination of items but I do have my faves in clothing and shoes too… of which I probably have 85 pair, counting flip flops. A few of those are wearing out and will be trashed soon.
I got this weakness for clothing from my sweet momma, who are the time of her passing at the age of 85, had as many pairs of shoes. She was a stylish woman who also liked a good sale and also to have options.
These shoes belonged to her and I still wear them to church or weddings. They remind me of her. They don’t look so good here on the floor but they are CUTE with some of my dresses… classics never go out of style and they’re still in good shape.
When I was a poor college student a friend and I fanaticized about having a pair of shoes that truly matched all of our clothes. That was one of our goals and we joked about having a “new” pair of shoes in the closet that we had never worn because if you’ve worn them, they’re technically not “new” any longer. 😉
Now to the Sunday school lesson. It was based on Colossians chapter 3.
Instead of worldly things, Paul admonishes Believers to set their minds on things above, not on earthly things, to put to death those things that belong to our earthly nature: immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, idolatry. We are also charged to get rid of anger, malice, slander, and filthy language since we have taken off the old self and put on the new self, which is being sanctified.
I equated this to a closet cleanout; you know the kind some girls who have trendy clothes post on social media.
I usually smile when I see that because I doubt I’d have any buyers; I just take mine to a charity each season.
That shoe and clothes thing could lead to idolatry if you were always shopping for clothes or shoes, seeking to fill a need for attention or approval from others. For Believers, it’s important to ask God to search your heart to make sure the things you own don’t own you. We can get too attached to our possessions. If we’re always wanting more stuff, especially coveting what others have, we may not have the right view of our possessions.
Then Paul encourages God’s children to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Above all these virtues, we are to put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
So when I’m doing that swap-over, I need to be certain to get rid of those vices and iniquities; those things that don’t fit any more.
After studying these verses, I look at my clothes differently now.
I shouldn’t focus as much on what I’m going to wear but I should choose to put on the virtues Paul mentioned each day even if I’m throwing on an old t shirt and jeans to work in the yard.
“And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17
So, no, I don’t need a bigger closet, I need to clean out a few things.
Does anyone else, besides me, need a closet cleanout?
Dinah's Dabblings 