By David Williamson.
I’m old enough to remember the motto “dress for success.”
Recently, reading in Colossians about the clothing a person “puts on” as one of “God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with…..” (Colossians 3:12) reminded me of an article about a baseball player who was traded to the Yankees. A huge change in self-concept came to that player as a result of simply putting on a Yankee pinstripe uniform that had been made for him. He reported that simply putting on “the pinstripes” caused him to think of himself, and to perform, differently.
I thought of the different kinds of particular clothing people are often called to wear for each kind of work. Some of it is functional, some is for self-perception (and other-perception). A firefighter puts on clothing that is carefully designed to balance protection with freedom of movement. Those who work underwater put on clothing and gear needed for lengthy periods of submersion. A painter wears a smock to minimize the impact of flying paint.
I wondered: What are my Christian “pinstripes”? What would that mean for any of us, ordinary workers doing ordinary work, dressed in ordinary clothing? When I do my work as an intentional follower of Jesus, what do I put on? Does it make difference?
Paul lists the “clothing” of compassion and kindness. What would I need to do to be dressed with, to wear, compassion? Kindness? What would that require from me, or invite me to do? Compassion and kindness call me to act in a certain way, but what would they look like? Next come meekness and patience. What difference in my self-concept would I wear in the way I approached my work and co-workers if I, to put on the clothing of being a follower of Jesus, wore the meekness and patience along with kindness, compassion and humility?
Then Paul adds the most essential and defining item of Christian clothing, perhaps the most “pinstripe” article, which is love. Love is the article of clothing that connects all the other articles together in harmony. It is the pinstripe that most clearly identifies and coordinates the entire ensemble. What are the behaviors at work for the person who is wearing love?
Wearing love is the distinctly necessary garment we need to “dress for success.”
With the success that comes with increased or enhanced performance in love, we can lead the whole team to perform with greater thankfulness for the work we do together. Our teammates will rejoice and be grateful for the enhanced performance whether they recognize our contribution comes from shared identity.
Eugene Peterson translates this part of Colossians: “So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.”
Wear the particular uniform of the Christian and you will have “dressed for success.” And others may try to emulate your uniform.
The Green Room 