“Back-to-School Clothes Shopping” (Pick a Card Series)
August 26, 2023
I remember shopping for back-to-school clothes a couple of weeks before the start of a new school year. While uniforms were the standard dress code for my elementary and high school years, students were permitted to wear “regular” clothes during the first two weeks of school until the weather cooled and wearing uniforms would be more temperature comfortable. Wearing a uniform eliminated the pressure of impressing others and wearing the latest fashion trends while attempting to dazzle my classmates with my clothes.
However, non-uniform clothing was the wardrobe for the first two weeks of the school year. This required an annual shopping day that was both exciting and miserable at the same time (though I am sure it was more excruciating for my Mom who had to do this for three children). Selecting clothes was exciting but trying them on not so much. However, it was a necessary torture in order to dive into the new school year and greet classmates decked out in trending clothes and shoes.
Reminiscing about shopping for school clothes reminded me of a different kind of clothing adornment mentioned in Colossians 3:12,
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
In this passage, the apostle Paul advises believers to clothe themselves with certain spiritual qualities such as compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and love. The emphasis here is on developing and embodying these virtues in our daily lives and not just the first two weeks of the school year.
While both spiritual clothing and back-to-school clothes involve garments, they serve different purposes and have distinct contexts. Spiritual clothing aims to shape one’s character and behavior, promoting virtues that reflect a Christlike nature. In contrast, back-to-school clothes primarily serve functional and stylistic purposes, allowing students to dress appropriately for school. Spiritual clothing emphasizes internal qualities and virtues, encouraging individuals to cultivate a Christlike attitude. Back-to-school clothes emphasize external appearance, fashion preferences, and personal style.
The interesting thing about shopping for back-to-school clothes is that they did not transfer to the following year. New fashion trends and growing out of the previous year’s clothing required a shopping outing for each school year. In contrast, spiritual clothing, such as compassion, kindness, and patience, is intended to be long-lasting and endure beyond specific seasons or occasions.
While back-to-school clothes may be essential for practical reasons, spiritual clothing holds a more significant value regarding personal development and relationships. The virtues mentioned in Colossians 3:12 contribute to building a strong character and fostering meaningful connections with God and others. And, to boot (pun intended), those virtues do not require a miserable shopping outing that involves dressing rooms and purchases that go out of style very quickly!