"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." (Isaiah 61:10, ESV)

Do you ever have trouble deciding what to wear some mornings? I have a few favorite outfits that I tend to choose frequently. More and more my style has evolved into something called comfortable, not elegant or trendy. I have no need to "dress to impress."

An old proverb says that "clothes make the man." But is that really true? It's easy to measure others by the way they are dressed and by the cost of what they are wearing. However, when we do this, we judge the worth of a person by the wrong standards. Character is more important than the clothing label.

esther's story

Esther was in her teens when she and other young ladies were taken into the palace of King Ahasuerus. The king needed to select a new queen after banishing Vashti from that position. The young women, who were selected from around the kingdom, spent twelve months in preparation before going in to the king. Each was allowed to select whatever she desired when her turn came, but Esther requested nothing special.

All the candidates were no doubt physically beautiful, but the king chose Esther as his queen. I do not believe it was her beauty or the beauty of her garments that attracted the king. I believe it was the beauty of her spirit that caused Ahasuerus to choose her. God gave her favor.

beautiful style

Allow me to share a fashion tip. This tip does not come from an online influencer or a fashion magazine. This dress for success advice comes straight from the Bible. By following the words of Colossians 3:12-14 in choosing what to put on, we will create our own beautiful style.

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience . . . And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony." (ESV)

It's not the clothes hanging in your closet that make you beautiful. It's the inner qualities of your godly spirit that reveal true beauty.

things that detract

Other less desirable qualities will detract from our beauty. These things will never enhance our appearance, and we should never put these on.

"But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices" (Colossians 3:8-9, ESV)

We are really dressed for success when we choose to put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and love. These things cause our true beauty to shine and brings God's favor upon our lives.

Choose carefully how you dress. Nothing is more beautiful than a loving, godly spirit.

Devotion by Mary Loudermilk