Thelma Wells encourages students to ‘Dress for Success’

Thelma Wells, founder of A Woman of God Ministries, opened Liberty University’s Friday convocation with a message on how to spiritually dress for success.

Wells was named Extraordinary Woman of the Year 2008 by Julie Clinton, host of the Extraordinary Women Conferences. (Clinton is the wife of Dr. Tim Clinton, executive director of the Center for Counseling and Family Studies at Liberty University.)

Using Ephesians 6, Wells said God outlines the armor of Christ that every Christian should use to withstand the wiles of Satan. Wells said one of the first things Satan attacks is our mind.

“If you want to dress for success, you’ve got to put on the helmet of salvation,” she said.

Citing Romans 10:9, Wells said the helmet of salvation holds in and preserves our thoughts against him.
“Under this helmet your thought pattern will be different … you won’t have to ask what would Jesus do because you’ll be thinking of what He will do,” she said.

Next Wells told students to pad their hearts by putting on the breastplate of righteousness. Righteousness rids Christians of the emotions of envy, jealousy, strife and lack of forgiveness. Wells said to gain this righteousness Christians must confess their sins and regularly read the Bible.

“Truth is in the word of God,” she said.

Using Zeph. 3:17, Wells said Christians must have their feet sharpened with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

“Peace can only come from Jesus Christ,” she said.

Wells closed by encouraging students to wear the shield of faith to win the battles against Satan.

“God says don’t give in. God wants you to win and He’s given you the ‘dress to success’ for every second of every minute of every day,” she said.

Wells has authored several books, including her latest, “God Is Not Through With Me Yet,” an inspiring examination of her own life experiences in which she encourages readers to “sing in the closets of their lives.” She serves as the president of The Daughters of Zion Leadership Mentoring Program, an organization she founded in 2000. She has mentored over 100 spiritual daughters, received an honorary doctorate degree and was ordained into the Christian Ministry on Dec. 16, 2008, from St. Thomas Christian College and Theological Seminary and the Association of Christian Churches in Jacksonville, Florida.