So often when I have somewhere to go, or just the option to get out of the house, I find it difficult to want to get up and get dressed. If somehow I could be teleported from my couch or my bed, then all would be fine, but the getting dressed part can sometimes be a nuisance. I even see this in my son, as many times he will want to leave the house dressed inappropriately because he does not want to change out of the comfort of his house clothes. On one occassion, Bryce was getting dressed and when I demanded that he put a coat on, he could not comprehend why he had to wear such a bulky, uncomfortable coat. I explained to Bryce that although he was warm inside of the house it was freezing outside, and that he was about to dress for where he was going, not where he was. (Somebody knows where I am going and can just meet me there.)
This concept of “getting dressed” is such an important idea for us to internalize in other areas of our lives. Think about it. When we get dressed, we must think about where we are going, and before we even get there we begin modifying our life for our future. We do not wait until we get to our destination to put on our clothes. Getting dressed is the act of preparation, while in our current location, for our future destination. In one of the books of the Bible considered one of the books of wisdom, we see this same concept at work in the metaphor of the ant; Proverbs 6:6-8 says,
6) Go to the ant, you lazybones; consider its ways and be wise. 7)Without having any chief officer or ruler, 8) it prepares its food in summer … (NRSV)
The ant gathers food (act of preparation), during the summer (it’s current location), so that it can survive the winter (it’s future destination). Translation: The ant is wise because it gets dressed.
Unfortunately, how many times in life have we chosen to procrastinate on doing the right thing or the best thing until we get “there?” We see this in the believer who elects to wait on making the spiritual commitment until they get their life right. We see this in the student who will get better study habits when they get to college, begin taking classes in their major, or even begin graduate school. We see this in the player who decides they will become monogamous when they get in the marriage. In so many cases, we make the decision to put off what would best prepare us for our future because in our present place it is more convenient to stay comfortable.
Finally, whenever we are going somewhere important we get dressed. I always know when my son is excited to go somewhere because he gets picky about what he wants to wear and he gets motivated to put it on without having to be told. He learned at a young age that when we go somewhere significant, we take more care to get dressed. I believe God wants to take us to important and significant places. Yet, if we are serious about where we are going and if we are excited about our future, then we may have to prepare right where we are in ways that will only make sense when we get where we are going. I know you have somewhere to go …. So put some clothes on!
Humbly in Christ’s Love,
B.A. Jackson