Hello my lovelies! Welcome back to our Titus 2 Tuesdays series! According to Titus 2:3-5, we can learn much from godly women who are older than us. This week, we have a devotional post from Mrs. Debbie Lavender. I feel so blessed to have known Mrs. Lavender for many years and call her a friend. She is a pastor’s wife, author, pianist, and a ray of sunshine! She has also written some incredibly encouraging books for ladies (more info at the end of this post). I know you’re going to love her devotional today!

Keep reading for Titus 2 Tuesdays with Mrs. Debbie Lavender.

Dressing for Spiritual Success

We love nice clothes.  New clothes feel the best – no tears, no stains, no pulls, no sags and no shrinkage! Have you ever noticed how clothes seem to shrink while hanging in the closet?  Maybe that is just me.  A shiny new, stylish outfit makes us feel better about ourselves; it gives us a new attitude.  As big a deal as we make of how we look before we step out the door, there is something far more important than what we put on our outsides. That is what is in our hearts.  How should we dress our hearts?  

Salvation

The first article of clothing our heart must have is salvation.  Comparing it to fashion, if we had no body, we would have nothing to hang our clothes on. You may discover the most beautiful creation of clothing ever, but, if you don’t have a body, it will remain on the hanger.  The accessories that make an outfit complete would have no place to hang from without a body.  So it is with the qualities of a godly woman. Without salvation, the foundation for a beautiful heart is just not there – everything is just cloth and bobbles. (Read more about salvation here.)

Surrender

Once we have believed in Christ for salvation, we can proceed to dress our hearts for success.  The Bible speaks of putting on these qualities – much like an outfit.  Our hearts need to put on surrender.  We struggle with this part of the outfit.  We see it there on the shelf, but we are not sure about yielding our wills completely, wanting to at least hold onto as much of our desires as we can. If we want that pulled together outfit, we need to sign a sheet of paper and hand it to the Saviour to fill in the blanks.  “Yes,” is the correct answer when the Lord asks something of us.  The One who paid for salvation is the same Person who trades beauty for ashes.  (Isaiah 61:3).  Why wear an old tattered rag when we can have a flowing gown?

Sweetness

Next, we are told in 1 Peter 3:4 to adorn ourselves with a meek and quiet spirit – sweetness.  We have salvation (our body), and we have surrendered (have to keep washing and ironing that flowing gown).  We now need to add the accessory of gentleness.  No one wants to listen to a mean person talk about the love of Christ. That is like wearing polka dots and flowers – they just don’t go together!  We need guidance on becoming a representative of Christ who exemplifies His tenderness.  

Strength

If we have on a pink dress and pink earrings and a pink bracelet and a pink hat – well, that is too much pink!  Too matchy matchy! 🙂 We need to compliment our sweetness with strength.  They can co-exist, and they must.  If, at the first sign of trouble, we tuck tail and run, we will not accomplish much.  Being a soldier for Christ calls for a strong backbone, the right equipment, and tough skin. “The test of your character is what it takes to stop you.”  “Thou therefore endurehardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” (2 Timothy 2:3)  We don’t have to depend on our own strength, but in the power of His might!

Steadfastness

One last ornament for our heart to be dressed for success is steadfastness.  Let’s say you have on your beautiful outfit, beautiful earrings, a lovely scarf, and a hat, but you start taking things off.  You may take your hat off (sweetness), you may shed the scarf (strength) and take off those earrings (surrender). What do you have left? Just a dress. What happened?  We wavered; we didn’t feel like wearing all that other stuff today. When onlookers (unsaved folks) see us now, they know that something is wrong with our outfit. Yesterday, we looked really put together.  Today, we may feel like just putting on some of it.  If we are dressing our hearts for success, we need to be faithful!  

Proverbs 4:23 & 26 tells us, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it arethe issues of life. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.”   How do you look today?  Be sure to look in the mirror before you step out.  Is your heart ready for its “fashion show?”  Keep working on it, and don’t forget to apply your make-up – in other words, don’t forget to pray!  

Author Bio:

Debbie Lavender is a pastor’s wife in Nova Scotia. She and her husband Paul have been in the ministry since the day they were married. They have three married children and eight grandchildren. Together, Paul and Debbie have served in youth and camp ministry, conferences, Christian schools, and children’s ministry.

In recent years, Debbie has begun to pursue writing, including a devotional for ladies on their church’s website called Sister 2 Sister. Her motivation in life is to please the Lord with whatever area of service He gives her. She considers it an honor to be the Lord’s child! All glory belongs to Him.

Closing Thoughts (from Claudine):

I hope you’ve enjoyed this devotional as much as I have. As godly ladies, we need to cultivate inner beauty first (not just style and outward appearance). The beauty that will last is the beauty of a meek and quiet spirit. Thank you so much for sharing this encouraging devotional with us, Mrs. Lavender! You are such a blessing!

If you enjoyed this post, I recommend checking out Mrs. Lavender’s books on Amazon. You can find them here:

Overcoming Being Overcome

Sister 2 Sister: A Devotional Book for Ladies

Walk Worthy: Becoming the Christian You Should Be

Joyful Journey: The Pathway for Christian Growth

And, if you enjoyed this post, please comment below and share what you learned or liked best about it!

Love,

Claudine

p.s. Some of the items in this post are affiliate links. I only post about products that I love + think you’ll probably love, too! As an Amazon Associate or affiliate for other programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. When you purchase through my link, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. Thank you SO much for your support!