Dressed for Leadership

Dressed for Leadership
The 2020 Awakening! 
Terry R. Baughman
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“But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the LORD. He wore a linen garment like that of a priest” (1 Samuel 2:18 NLT). 

Children will sometimes play dress up, either by clunking around in the shoes of their parents or siblings, or donning oversized clothes. Little girls may dress in long flowing nightgowns and slippers pretending to be Cinderella or a princess. Boys may wear a bathrobe and a sash tied around their head pretending to be Luke Skywalker or a quick and nimble ninja warrior. In the field of imagination you can become anything you wish and there is no limit to where you can travel. 

The uniform or dress becomes the identity. A raincoat can transform the character into a spy or an Arctic fisherman. A turban can evoke images of magical flying carpets or a Bedouin shepherd on windswept desert dunes. A bath towel can become a superhero’s cape granting special powers and the ability to fly in the sky. 

Just as a young boy, Samuel was brought to the temple to serve and to be trained to perform protocol and assist in the daily ceremonies of worship in Israel. He took his role seriously and he “served the Lord.” It quickly became obvious that Samuel was serious about his training. The text said, “He wore a linen garment like that of a priest” (1 Samuel 2:18 NLT). This was more than play-acting or pretend. He wore the garments proudly and performed flawlessly. 

Many years ago John T. Molloy wrote, “Dress for Success” (1975, revised in 1988), to stress the importance of our appearance on our success in a chosen career and in life. It was probably somewhat in response to the hippie generation and the general trend toward more unkept appearances in the 70’s. However, the principle was true then and it is true now that we can project an appropriate image for our desired achievements by the way we dress. 

We often dress in garments that don’t seem to fit. Sometimes we are called on to fulfill a role or assume a position for which we are not qualified. We put on the uniform, pin on the ID badge, and show up for the job. We look the part and wear the apparel. However, confidence eludes us and our lack of experience becomes obvious, but that’s the way we learn. First, we dress for the role; then we gain experience while performing the duties that go with the position. 

As a graduate, or when you assume a new position of responsibility, take courage in knowing that everyone had a first day. No one comes to the job with all of the experience and qualifications that will prepare them for the challenges that new roles require. The term “fake it until you make it” applies here. Take on the challenge with confidence and don’t be afraid to ask for assistance when you just don’t know how to do something. There will always be someone willing to give guidance or a word of instruction. 

On the first day or in the beginning of your journey you may feel that you have stepped into giant shoes that are clunky and ill-fitted, but be encouraged. You will grow into your clothes. In time your feet will fit in to the shoes of your calling and your garment will seem just right!

Step into the future and accept the role of leadership. You are prepared, now dress like it!
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Theme passage:
“Knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11).

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