Day 220: Comfortable Shouldn't Equal Lazy

It's Sunday afternoon, and as I type this, I'm sporting my over sized 49ers sweatshirt (the first gift given to me by my husband, then boyfriend, when we were dating) and comfy sweats.  So believe me, the irony of what I'm about to post is not lost on me.  The first thing I do when we walk in the door after church Sunday morning is shed the layers of heels, dress clothes, jewelry and fancy hair for my slippers, pony tail and loose fitting lounge wear. Why DO we dress up for church?  If it's so much more comfortable to "come as you are" then what's the big deal?  Well, simply put, we are showing respect to the Creator of the universe.  You wouldn't wear sweats to meet the President, would you?  Out of respect for the office, you carry yourself in a certain way, and present the best version of yourself possible.  When we go to God's house, we show respect in our actions, manners and dress.  

Now, that may not be an issue for you.  You got it.  No problem- dress up for church.  OK, so how does this affect marriage?  Well, directly, it doesn't.  But the concept of showing respect outwardly sure does.  Do you carry yourself differently when your husband comes home?  Do you take time to dress neatly and comb the baby puke out of your hair?  Maybe a dash of makeup to brighten your tired eyes?  I know, not every day lends itself to looking great, but be honest- if someone else was coming over to visit, would you take five minutes to clean yourself up first?  I'm not talking about entering a beauty pageant here, folks.  I'm a mother of three boys- I regularly have dirt and gunk on my shirt! But I think I was most convicted when I found myself altering my morning "beauty" routine based on whether or not I was going anywhere or seeing anyone that day. Shouldn't my husband count as seeing someone?  When we were dating you can bet I never went out without looking my best, in case I was going to see him.  It's such a simple way to show respect to your husband.  It says that he matters- he's important to you, and you care about him enough to take care of yourself.  Being comfortable in your relationship together shouldn't lend itself to laziness.  Of course he still loves you-even when you have bed head and morning breath.  But don't take advantage of his love and become lazy.  The bonus flip-side of this coin is his reaction to you.  He needs to be respected, you need to be loved.  PLUS, you just might be able to convince him to wear the new clothes you bought him for Christmas :)

For a fantastic quick article on this subject, click here.

PS- my husband loves when I wear my Niners sweatshirt because it's nostalgic and leads to snuggling on the couch (just in case you're thinking I'm a total hypocrite) Happy Sunday!