Colossians 3:12-15 (New Living Translation)
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
One of my favorite television shows is What Not to Wear on TLC. Its a great show with a great premise. First of all they take all of this "secret footage" on one poor fashion victim then when they least expect it, the two hosts of the show appear out of nowhere and surprise the fashion victim. Then in the matter of days they do a whirlwind make over from head to toe. Hair, make up, clothing... everything. The only catch is, they have to get rid of all of their old clothing before buying new clothing....that the hosts approve and thing would be a good fit and style for them.
The process of watching these fashion victims turning into stylish and confident people is really fun to watch. The hard part is watching them part with their old clothing and what that all represents. Some are reduced to tears as they part with the clothing they have had for so long. Some are down right angry and vengeful and they fight tooth and nail to keep their clothing that has become somewhat of a security blanket for them. At the end of the show.....it never fails...... they always love their transformation and they are grateful for new beginnings.
Clothing is a huge part of who we are. In many ways clothing defines who we are. Everybody has their own style and reasoning behind their clothing. Wearing the "right" clothes brings confidence and comfort. Wearing the "wrong" clothes brings discomfort. Why do we wear the clothes that we wear?
My youth and many other teenagers, children, and parents in Waxahachie are forced to ask themselves the same questions. Why do we wear the clothes that we wear? The school board passed a new dress menu that has caused many to be upset and angry at the thought of losing their individuality expressed by the clothes that they wear. Is our individuality really expressed solely by what we wear?
This scripture from Colossians talks about clothing yourself with patience, mercy, humility, kindness, and gentleness... AND above all that clothing ourselves with love. I have to be honest...sometimes I need God to do a "What Not to Wear" on my spiritual wardrobe. Can you imagine if God had hidden footage of my spiritual wardrobe? I would be shocked to see how I responded to others. I would have to face the impatience I have each day in even the smallest of situations.
Maybe instead of identifying myself with my casual comfortable clothing, I could identify myself by the humility and kindness I clothe myself with. I need to under go a head to toe spiritual make over. Instead of laying in bed in the morning thinking about what I am going to wear that day and what others will think about what I wear, I could start my day off with a prayer asking God to show me how to live in peace and forgiveness. Instead of going out to buy a new outfit or pair of shoes, I can go out and show love to others.
Regardless of where you stand on a dress menu topic or how you dress on the outside, all of us need to really think about how we dress on the inside. I am thankful that I worship a God who cares about the inside, who encourages us to dress better from the inside out, who challenges us to forgive and surround others with love. We are to be bound together not by what we wear but by our love.
I pray that God allows me to see what not to wear in my life, and provides opportunities for a spiritual wardrobe make over every chance I get.
No comments:
Post a Comment