Going into Battle

While texting a friend today, I saw a word in a new light. A very dim light, but a new one, nonetheless.
Wardrobe.

We were commiserating about nurses and doctors getting to wear scrubs everyday. Yeah, I know. The grass is always greener. Maybe they wish to be able to put on something with a waistline, but I still think we non-scrubbers drew the short stick. I made a remark about how they make pretty good money and don't have to worry about spending it on a wardrobe. That's a word I don't write often, so I had to play with the spelling. Yes, I am pretty obsessive about spelling, even in texts. First I tried, "wordrobe." Incorrect. Clearly. How silly for me to even have considered it!

Then, knowing the proper spelling, I typed it out, W-A-R... Lightbulb! Oh, the cruel humor.

Ever feel like when you enter your closet, you're stepping onto a battle field? You, an army of one versus pants that are too long or too short. Too tight or too loose (ha!). Shirts that don't fit right or just don't seem to go with any of the clean pants. Perhaps you own some fallen soldiers, the old stand-by pieces that were always on your side, but clearly have fought their last fight. Sometimes the clothes attack physically- a pinch here or a pull there, but more often, it's emotional.

Why do we let ourselves get so beat up and even wounded by clothing? How does a pair of jeans have the power to bring us to our knees? It's war in the wardrobe, but it doesn't have to be. But how do we declare a ceasefire?
Here's my plan:

1. I have to keep telling myself that am blessed to have a closet full of clothing. I could stand to purge said closet.

2. 1 Cor 6: 19-20."Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." I have to change the way I see myself. My body is not for others. It is made to glorify God. I can do that through my diet, my attitude towards my husband (ahem) and through my dress.

3. I've got to step outside of myself and remember I am NOT the center of the universe and most likely, no one cares what I'm wearing!

If we allow our day to be ruined within 20 minutes of waking because we've been emotionally attacked in our closet, then we will have not only lost the daily battle, we'll have lost the war as well. What good are we as women of God if we are sour-faced and slouched because we hate the way our shirt makes our upper arms look? Who is going to see the love of Jesus if we won't look anyone in the eyes because our lower belly pooch looks huge in these pants?

Yes, it might feel like WAR when you stare at your wardrobe and peace-drobe just doesn't have a ring to it, but don't let it defeat you. You we're meant for more!

How do you avoid the war in your closet?