To Live Fearlessly, You Need This Clothing

The cloth finally arrived. 

She opened the massive bag, her fingers moving swiftly but gently. Her face shone with excitement as she stood and pulled the sparkling white gown out of the bag. Wow! We screamed in unison. 

Fixing our eyes on the cloth wasn’t enough; she had to put it on. My friend’s wedding was fast approaching, and like every bride-to-be, her wedding gown mattered to her. She unzipped it, pulled it over her body with great care, as I helped her adjust it properly. 

Standing in front of the mirror, she could see herself; the bridal cloth had turned her into a packaged, priceless parcel. The smiles glowed, mirroring the smile of joy that will envelop her on the D-Day. Clothing! Oh, the total transformation clothing brings. 

What Clothing Does

You’ve seen a soldier standing with his clothes on, right? 

They are bold and fearless. 

That’s what this clothing I’ll tell you about will do for you.

In this new year, and years to come, you’ll walk on without fear.

I know how fear stands in one’s face, stopping you from taking that step… from living the full and free life God purposed for you. I’ve been there. And in my search to kick fear out of my way, I found this.

Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. (Proverbs 31: 25)

The amplified version says “… she smiles at the future.”

Smiles? Instead of anxiety and fear weakening her heart and hands… like it does mine at times.

Let’s discuss how to put on – always – this inner clothing of a fearless woman.

Clothing does 2 things:

• It defines

• It defends

That’s exactly what these items of clothing – strength and honour – will do for any woman who wears them.

The Strength Of A Fearless Young Woman

Strength is the ability to resist being moved or broken by a force.

Ladies, there are lots of forces, opposing forces… Within and without. Forces that want you to trash the feminine mystery embedded in you, and drive you to pick up a counterfeit and caricature pack.

 Forces that fiercely compel you to sweep under the carpet the truth of God’s word, and pick up modern lies. “After all, we are in the 21st century,” it tells us. 

Forces that say modesty is old fashioned, you have to dress to kill if you must have a catch. Or that subtle force of it doesn’t matter… I don’t have evil intentions at heart. 

Forces that drive you to fling purity over the fence and pick up the flirting garment. Just catch some fun, the force says. Forces… in different shapes and colours.

Strength defends. You need to combat these and more forces and live victoriously. Like a cloth, strength defends you from getting burnt by the harsh weather of life.

• Spiritual strength: You get it in the secret place – Studying God’s word and praying.

• Emotional strength: Emotions are real. You build strength in your emotional life by being aware of these emotions and learning the skills needed to manage them. (Books on Emotional Intelligence and Mindset will help.)

• Physical strength: Work doesn’t kill. Necessary work. As you discipline yourself to work more, you build strength. Have you noticed that when you do a work over time, it appears less difficult than when you started? That’s it!

The Honour Of A Fearless Young Woman

Honour means to regard or treat someone with respect and admiration. Or, as another bible version puts it, “dignity” – the quality of being worthy of honour or respect. 

A virtuous woman understands her worth: like verse 10 says, “her price is far above rubies”. 

Her speech, demeanour, relationship with others, dressing, attitude to work, optimism, her meek and quiet spirit – they all spread the message to everyone who comes in contact with her: “This is an honourable woman. A woman of dignity.” 

Honour defines. You remember Ruth in the Bible, right? That Moabitess who followed her aged mother-in-law to a land strange to her. Would Ruth have imagined that in that strange land, she was being noticed? 

People took account of her manner of life, and even discussed her with others – with prominent people like Boaz. See what Boaz said to her, on different occasions – “it hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto the mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou left they father and mother, and the land of the nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore” (Ruth 2:11). “For all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman” (Ruth 3:11). 

Wow! All the people. You mean everyone was simply watching every footstep this stranger girl took, you ask. Yes! They did. And they still do. There are eyes all around you. A song we sing says “your life’s a book before their eyes, they’re reading it through and through…“. 2

Pushing this fact away with the “who cares” mentality isn’t going to help. Everything we do in life counts up; definitely. Whether now or tomorrow. It’s still going to come back. 

You hear stories of people who cruise at the peak of their success, then one buried bomb from the past suddenly explodes and shakes their cruising boat. 

How To Possess The Clothing Of Strength And Dignity

Then to the meat of the matter: in time to come, you will rejoice. You will smile at the future. Because you’ve replaced fear with faith. Strength and dignity kicked fear out. 

Just like Ruth. She married the most prominent man in town… She became the great grandmother of David… She is a woman, a mother, in the lineage of our Saviour Jesus. What an honour! What a joyful future she earned for herself. 

Her past – a Moabitess idol worshipper – didn’t deter her. She embraced the true God. Her present – a poor young widow with a ‘bitter’ mother-in-law – didn’t derail her. She wore the clothing of strength and honour. Her future – a mother in Israel – didn’t disappoint her. She rejoiced in time to come. 

Girl, you’re salivating over this clothing? – Strength. Honour. Where can I buy them, you ask. Guess what! Someone has already purchased this clothing for you, and me. You just need to go collect the ticket, and then walk into that makeover room where you’ll be adorned in this noble clothing. The ticket lies at the foot of the cross. Go right there, drop your ragged clothing of dirty words, thoughts, manners, all those things that Galatians 5:19-21 says defiles a man, and disqualifies him/her from the kingdom of God. Then you’ll be handed your ticket. 

And as you wake up each day, commune with God, associate with others who wear strength and dignity (their fruits will identify them), and keep building yourself up – all-round. That’s the way to make your clothing of strength and dignity glow more and more.