PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE

While growing up, I remember an advertisement that was very popular: “Clothing makes the man.” It’s a slogan from the past that has been overcome by ads that are much different. Each time I heard it, I would stop, look at what I was wearing, and wonder if it would be a help or a hindrance to what I wanted to accomplish.

Though the slogan is a thing of the past, clothes continue to contribute to the opinions others form about us. And we, also, do the same. More often than not we judge others by their clothing. We often do it without even thinking about what we are doing: stereotyping others.

“She is clothed with strength and dignity, she can laugh at the days to come,” are words that describe the “woman of noble character.” How do we identify the garments of “strength and dignity” and is it ever wise to “laugh at the future?”

“Men,” God’s Word reminds us, “look at what people wear. God looks at the person’s heart.” Character and values are something that flows from the inside of a person. The essential qualities described here refer to God at work in the lives of those who surrender their lives to Him. Strength comes from His presence within, and dignity is the result of being who He wants us to be so we can walk in a “just pride” because we are His very own children.

When we walk in His strength and not our own and when we realize the benefits of being “His child,” there is no reason to “fear the days to come.” We are in “good hands” – His hands – and that is what matters most.

Prayer: Often, Father, we fail to recognize all that we can have through You. Open our heart to Your greatness. May we accept Your gifts with gratitude and humility. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today:   She is clothed with strength and dignity, she can laugh at the days to come. Proverbs 31:25