Wear Clothes that Fit

[featured_image]I remember my graduation from 8th grade. It started with a banquet dinner for all the students followed by a graduation ceremony.

My parents had bought me a new suit – it was powder blue and included the “three piece” look with a vest and coat and matching paints. I was really excited to wear it.

But there was one problem. It didn’t fit. It was too big. I was worried that I’d look funny in my graduation suit.

For whatever reason, my mom didn’t have it taken in. She simply pinned the back of the vest so that it fit more snugly and told me not to take off my jacket.

This seemed like a reasonable solution….except that it was a June graduation in Southern California. It was really hot. And wearing my “three piece” suit soon became quite unbearable. Yet I couldn’t take off the jacket like all my friends because it would expose the pins in the vest and the reality that my suit didn’t actually fit.

I was miserable! All through dinner I sat there sweating and hoping it would cool down. It didn’t.

When I think back on this story now it makes me laugh. Why didn’t I just take off the jacket and the vest? Why was I so proud of that powder blue “three-piece” suit? Why didn’t they have air conditioning in the room where dinner was served? Why didn’t my mom make sure that the suit fit before graduation?

I may never know the answers to these questions. However, I do know that I’ve decided that the easiest way to avoid embarrassment and overheating is to… Wear Clothes that Fit.

Seems like a pretty simple solution doesn’t it?

I think this is important advice for church planters. No – I’m not talking about your wardrobe.

I’m thinking about David trying on Saul’s armor and discovering it didn’t fit. It was too large. It was going to keep him from succeeding against Goliath.

What I mean is this: Don’t try to be someone you are not! Don’t try to copy the latest and greatest church planter that you’ve got yourself infatuated with in terms of style and approach.

Be you. Do the stuff that’s you. Be who God made you to be. Use the gifts and abilities that God has given to you.

I remember quite well the pressure I felt when planting a church to really measure up to people’s expectations. It was stressful.

I wish I would have just focused on being faithful to the work that God had called me to do — utilizing the gifts and abilities He had given me.

If you are planting a church – take off the powder blue “three piece” suit if it doesn’t fit. Take off Saul’s armor. Don’t try to be somebody else.

Be who God made you to be!