Have you ever heard the old cliché “first impressions never have a second chance”? Sometimes, in order to make a positive impression, we focus on what to wear. We can spend hours picking just the right outfit for an occasion. Today we want to talk to you about your spiritual dress code. The Word of God, the Bible, tells us exactly what to take off and what to put on! Let’s take a look at this together!
Colossians 3:12-14 says “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” So, there it is. Plain as day. As believers and Christ followers, we have a dress code!
Now that we know what we should be wearing, let’s rewind. Before you put on fresh, clean clothes, you need to take off the dirty ones you’ve been wearing. In most cases, once you get past about age 6, you’re responsible for dressing yourself. The same is true with our spiritual wardrobe. Oftentimes, we ask God to take things away from us. “God, remove my bad attitude” or “Lord, take away my desire to be mean” or “Jesus, shut my mouth before I say something bad”. The Lord gives us the authority to sort these things. He even gives us a Helper (The Holy Spirit); however, He doesn’t tell us He’ll take it all away. In fact, He commands us to put these things away!
Colossians 3:8-10 says “But now it’s time to put off all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its creator.” If you’re wondering what your spiritual wardrobe has been looking like, consider your most recent interactions. Include interactions with friends and family as well as the teller at the bank or the server from dinner last night. When you hold up your interactions, which wardrobe do you see represented most?
If you’re saved, that means you’ve been washed clean. You are altogether a new creation! So why are you still reaching for those old raggedy clothes? Why are you still speaking to your spouse in anger and rage instead of love and kindness? Why are you using foul words to joke with friends instead of leading your friends with humility? Why are you slandering (gossiping about) people you don’t know instead of having patience and a forgiving heart toward their shortcomings?
The more you follow Christ, the easier and more quickly you’ll desire to follow this spiritual dress code. The more you understand the character of God, the more you’ll desire and require obedience from yourself. The best way to know God is to read the Bible. Read the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) to get a better idea of who Jesus was on Earth. The Word says of Jesus, if you have seen Him, you have seen the Father!
As you sort through your spiritual wardrobe, skip the donation pile, and go ahead and make a trash pile! What are you taking off and throwing out? If you have any empty space in your closet, get in the Word and see what you can add! Remember, above all, put on LOVE! We love you all and are praying for each of you to be empowered and excited to put on some new things.
