Fashioned for a Perfect Fit

Though the current fashions are oversized, and sometimes we want to wear a baggy shirt and comfy pants on a bloated day, we look our best when our clothes FIT.  Nothing is better than a dress that hangs just right on your frame, or a pair of jeans that slenderize your shape.  A ‘perfect fit’ just makes you feel that you could own the fashion runway! A ‘perfect fit’ drums up confidence!  There’s just something about when an outfit pulls together seamlessly!

Just as much as there is a ‘perfect fit,’ we all certainly know when an article of clothing does not fit! Let’s get real for a minute! As much as we try to stretch out that shirt, suck it in, wear shapewear, or tighten the belt, it just ain’t workin’, girlfriend!  And nobody wants to go through a whole day at work or play in a pair of pants that are too tight!

Can I get an AMEN?!

Holy Hand-Me-Downs

Now, many of us have grown up wearing the “hand-me-downs” of others.  Sometimes when the bags appeared of our front porches, they were from friends or family. Other times, perhaps, from perfect strangers.  Sometimes the clothing that is passed on to you has purpose.  One, you know you couldn’t afford to buy it yourself. Two, you may look better in it than the original owner (lol). Three, God may want you to pick up where someone else has left off. 

Let’s recall a holy hand-me-down story in 2 Kins 2:11-14.  As Elijah and Elisha were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha was devastated and tore his own clothes in two. Verse 13 says, “13 Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan.” With it, he struck the water of the Jordan and crossed on over.

Ladies, the legacy, and power of wearing the garments of the former generation may just be the “perfect fit” for this season.  Ask the Lord if you are to continue a good work in an area of ministry or vocation left behind by someone who did it well.  When wearing the mantles of holy work gone by, allow the Lord to help you accessorize it for the future, making an even greater impact for the Kingdom! 

The Dressing Room

Little David, the shepherd boy, knew all about ‘perfect fit’ too.  Now, he never had to go bathing suit, undergarments, or even pantyhose shopping! But, David couldn’t fit into King Saul’s armor.  He knew his size versus that of Saul’s wasn’t a match.  David also knew he was better off in what was familiar and comfortable to him and not in someone else’s wardrobe. 

Let’s look at this dressing room story: I Samuel 17:32-40

32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”33 Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.”v34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.” 38 Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. 39 David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.

Ladies, David knew he was fashioned for a victory in his own clothes, not someone else’s.  Draw from this story to apply to your own life that what God has given you at this time and season is a ‘perfect fit.’

Time for a Wardrobe Refresh

Each season requires different clothing.  What is God outfitting you in currently, and is He handing you anything to put on for the future?  Are you in a season of putting away heavier garments in exchange for lighter fabrics?  Are you in a season of comfort, labor-intensive or business casual?  Rely on His expertise style. God has the perfect fit for you.