If you’re from New Orleans and over 40 years of age, you remember Krauss Department store on the corner of Canal and Basin Streets at the St. Bernard bus stop. My mother shopped at Krauss for two reasons—fabric and Women’s Foundations.
The Women’s Foundation section took up almost half of the huge store’s first floor. This area was filled with rows and rows of stockings, slips, panties, bras and girdles. Yes—GIRDLES!
There’s a reason why certain intimate apparel were referred to as “foundations”. For instance, girdles were meant to be worn underneath the clothing to add shape, form, and support so that nothing sagged, hung out, or jiggled back and forth. Girdles contoured the waistline. They caused the body to appear firm and fit—not loose and flabby.
If you were well endowed with big thighs, big hips, and a big butt, you got a pantie girdle by the time you were 13.
Loose and flabby represented comfort-ability, relaxation, and someone at rest. While that was ok when you were at home, but when it was time to face the world it was also time to dress appropriately so that you were prepared for any and everything.
Well, in my mind the Bible supports this dress code concept on the mental level. 1 Peter 1:13-14 reminds us to:
…gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
By gird up your minds, the Bible encourages us to gather up, strap up, and straighten up any parts of our mind that is loose, hanging or ill-fitted for the journey—Seek to know and do God’s Will.
The Spirit of God reminds us that there are evil forces aimed at discouraging, dividing, and distracting us from reaching our goal—Observe to Follow God’s Commands.
God compels us to pay close attention to our foundation and our form. We must ensure that we’re consistently alert and we well-armed to stand against any and all opposition. We can’t be relaxed, loose, flip-flopping and flapping when it comes to the devil. The only thing we should rest in is hope—Hope in Jesus Christ.
Unfortunately, the girdle has become a "back in the day" garment. Hopefully, today's reminder to "gird up the loins of your mind" will urge us to add the foundation and structure needed to be more like God.
Challenge: Get Your Mind Right
- Firm it up
- Tighten it up
- Straighten it up
- Girdle it up
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