Playing Through the Pain: Dressed for BattleSample

When I first made it to the pros, one of the things that surprised me most was that so few of my teammates knew how to get dressed. What I mean by this is that they knew how to put on their pads and their helmets, but so few knew how to put on a suit. 

I don’t know about you, but I learned how to tie a Single Windsor before I could read… haha. My father was a military man and a preacher, and he had been diligent in teaching me. I learned in my upbringing that it was not only WHAT you wore but HOW you wore it, and even more importantly, IN WHAT ORDER you put it on. 

Every time I wear a suit, I hear my father’s deep voice still resounding in my ears, saying, 

“Son, every man must know how to get dressed. When you get out of the shower, first you put on your underwear, then your socks, your pants next, then your shoes, and lastly you put on your shirt. When your shirt is buttoned and properly tucked in, then you put on your belt, your tie, and your jacket.”

Some will wrongly put on their shirt too soon, and then when they bend over to put on their shoes, their shirt gets wrinkled.  You must be able to dress for the part you want to have in the right way, in the right order.

In Ephesians 6, Paul talks to us about dressing for the part to which our Father has called us. 

David’s resistance to putting on King Saul’s armor in 1 Samuel chapter 17 should not communicate to us that he didn’t have any armor on. The battle waiting for the young shepherd boy in the Valley of Elah was no different from the battles he had already fought and won. He was pre-prepared. His FATHER, not Jesse, had been training him since before he could read. 

Listen to Paul’s words in Ephesians 6:10 and consider that God had spoken similarly to David while he was being prepared in the field with the sheep. “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.” 

Remember that our FATHER has promised that He won’t let you go through anything you are incapable of  handling alone, without full access to  HIS HELP. Luke 18:27 (NLT) says, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.” 

When you have been prepared by the FATHER, equipped with your unique gifting and those solutions that have been instilled in you by past experiences, then you will be ready for the battle ahead.

Are you ready to trust the FATHER for his advancement?  Are you Dressed for Battle?