So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
I recently watched the 86th annual Academy Awards presentation, commonly known as “The Oscars”. I also watched the show that preceded the actual award ceremony, in which celebrities and their entourage “walked the red carpet” to the applause and excitement of a crowd of onlookers. The pervading – and oft-repeated – question was, “Who are you wearing?” The person making the inquiry meant, “Who designed your clothing and accessories?” Let me assure you, there were some big “hits”…and some definite “misses”! Some of the outfits were so bad that you would never believe this person had a “stylist” who actually put this look together and said, “Yes…I think you will look smashing in that!”
Unless you are a nudist, one of the first things you do in the morning is dress for the day. Now granted…for some, this may mean changing from one pair of flannel pajama pants and a tee-shirt into another! But let’s just say for the sake of argument that everyone gets dressed each morning. Would you agree that what you wear tells others something about you? If you are neat and clean, wearing clothing that fits relatively well and looks freshly laundered…won’t people treat you differently than if you are disheveled, dirty, and sloppily dressed in ill-fitting clothes? Don’t try to pretend you have not seen those “people of Wal-Mart” photos! What we wear says something about us, whether we like it or not!
It’s the same with our “spiritual wardrobe”. God has provided us with a “closet” filled with compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline, and forgiveness. Some of us have added our own “items of clothing”...hatefulness, anger, judgment, self-centeredness and ego, disrespect, disobedience, a penchant for degradation and gossip, and small-mindedness, to name a few. Some of us try to “mix and match”…and often, the “look” is truly not good. Others simply wear the wrong outfit and pretend not to care.
So we present a poor example of Christian faith to others. A friend of mine who is a high school teacher recently told of having his cell phone stolen at school. He was upset to learn the phone was gone… but more upset when students “ratted out” the thief – and he learned who had actually taken it. My teacher friend was heartsick and disappointed. Apparently this student was one who “mixed and matched” his/her “spiritual clothing”. I know people who claim to be faith-filled Christians…but they have tried to poison family members or friends against each other. They want to wear a coat of “God answered my prayer” over a shirt of “he thinks you are lazy and worthless.” I’ve seen people be incredibly kind and loving toward people they felt were “important” or could take them places in life…while treating their own parents or other family members like dirt. Clearly they have a case of “hopefully my designer bag will distract you from my shoes with the hole in the toe” going on.
What about you? Do you let God pick out your wardrobe? Or do you do the choosing? Are you comfortable wearing the items you’ve added…and do you understand the image they project to others? Do you care? Does it bother you to claim to be a Christian while always expressing anger, disdain, disrespect or vanity toward someone or something? Do you see that this sends others a mixed message, at best…and might actually give them the impression that either 1) you are not truly a Christian; or 2) serving God is not all that Christians claim it is? Do you put on the ultimate spiritual “undergarment” each day…do you start with love? Do you pick and choose which days to “wear” it… or with whom?
Like it or not, what we wear says something about us...both from a physical standpoint…and certainly in the context of our Christian faith. I have a little metal bracelet that I wear anytime I leave the house. It has important information engraved on it that explains my food allergies. I would not think of leaving home without wearing this bracelet. If I were to become ill or injured somewhere, it could quite literally help to save my life. The same can be said for God’s wardrobe...especially love. Consider it your “allergy bracelet” of sorts. Without it, we risk the possibility of serious injury to ourselves or others…we dare to damage not only our reputation, but that of Christians everywhere.
I can tell you that the risk for me is too high…on all accounts. I will also admit that I am guilty of occasional “fashion faux pas” on all levels. But I am trying to do better…and I’m trusting God to help me with this. When it comes to my wardrobe, God is the best “stylist” I know. The question is…”Who are you wearing?” and more importantly…“Who is your stylist?” Is it time to “clean the closets” in your life? Is your “spiritual wardrobe” in need of a makeover? Wouldn’t this be the perfect time to ask God to help you get started?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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