#109: What are you Wearing?

Many people are ready to discuss what you should be wearing. From issues on modesty to advice on style, everyone has an option on what looks good and what is appropriate. It is true, whether you like it or not, what you wear defines you. It is a piece of the first impression, and you will become known for your style.

So, what are you wearing? What is your style? The physical garment that you are wearing can be a part of a first impression, but so can your disposition. How you act and respond to people will instantly shroud you with assumptions about your personality: joy, sadness, bitterness, apathy are just a few of the things people may see you wearing. 

Are you clothed in envy, strife, and division, or unity?

Have situations caused you to put on the garment of envying, strife, and division? Are you critical of the efforts of others as a means to make your efforts appear more worthy? This garment that you decide to wear creates divisions. It is dirty, soiled, and diseased.

1 Corinthians 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? 

Referring to the words in the verses above, if you are acting in a way that creates division in the church, you are being a baby! Those individuals that create division might reason that they are taking a righteous stand, however, they are just driving a wedge between believers. Throw off that diseased garment that creates division and let the Lord give you a fresh coat of unity. Don’t look for ways to criticize others and create strife. Seek out ways you can contribute and enhance the efforts of other Christians rather than create division. Keep your focus on the Lord and please Him. He wants His people unified.

Are you clothed in bitterness or forgiveness?

At some point in time, someone has hurt you or disappointed you. Everyone has experienced this. When this happens, whether purposefully or accidentally, the offender leaves behind this dark and dirty cloak of offense. You could just step over this reprehensible thing laying in front of you, but instead, you pick this cloak-of-offense up and put it on. Somehow you reason that wearing this horrible garment will prove how bad you have been hurt. This is bitterness – holding onto an offense with the hope that it will offend the offender. It never works. It just makes you look really bad.

Proverbs 19:11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.

Pass over that horrible cloak of offense and forgive. Forgiveness is bright and beautiful. Forgiveness does not seek to “teach a lesson” or to offend. Forgiveness does not communicate that what the other person did was acceptable but is a step you take to avoid the dirty, heavy cloak of offense.

Are you clothed in fear and sadness or contentment?

At different times in your life, you will find yourself cloaked in fear and sadness. This may not be a garment of choice but of circumstance. Life can get difficult, and tragedies will happen. However, there is a refuge that you can run to for protection and comfort. The Bible talks about how the Lord set up cities of refuge for the innocent to flee to for protection.

Joshua 20:4 And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.

Today, that city still exists for you in the form of a close relationship with Jesus Christ. When you find yourself wearing sadness, doubt and fear, flee to the Lord (not away from Him). He will recognize your condition and will know why you have come to Him. He will welcome you and exchange that heavy cloak of fear and sadness for one of comfort and protection if you will let Him and trust Him.

So, if you don’t like what you are wearing, how do you change? If you don’t like the shirt you have on, you can go to the closet and pick a different one. But what do you do if you would like to change your bitterness, your fear, or your contentiousness?

Proverbs 19:20 Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.

You change your spiritual disposition by hearing counsel and receiving instruction. The Bible and godly advisors are your spiritual closet full of beautiful spiritual garments. If you refuse to go to the spiritual closet to hear preaching or you refuse to accept godly counsel, then you will never see the options available so that you can change. 

God sees and knows what you are wearing. He knows how much you struggle and then sees you grab that dirty old cloak because it is familiar. If you would just draw closer to the Lord, you would see He is holding out a new, clean cloak of righteousness. Draw close to the Lord, receive instruction and correction. It can be uncomfortable to wear something different, but after a while, it will start to feel better. Change is hard. But if you will allow the Lord to change you, you will be “better dressed” in the end.

As a Christian, your goal is to become more Christ-like. Maybe taking a look at how the Lord is clothed would give you an understanding of how you should be clothed.

Psalm 93:1 The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved. 

Psalm 93:5 Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever.

The Lord is clothed in majesty and strength. He is defined by His holiness. You might be thinking that these spiritual garments are unattainable; very much the same way that the clothing in some stores is priced in such a way that you could never afford to purchase an item. But an amazing analogy exists in these passages; Christ has already purchased this garment of righteousness for you. When He died on the cross for your sin, He purchased a cloak of righteousness and majesty for you. Have you received this gift? This is something you could never afford, but Christ has already purchased it for you.

Related Bible Passages:

Joshua 20
Psalms 93
Proverbs 19
1 Corinthians 3

Have a face to face conversation with your Lord:

Lord, what spiritual disposition am I wearing?

Lord, is there something you want me to change, but I keep putting on the same old disposition because it is familiar?

Lord, what do others see me wearing?

Lord, I want to be dressed spiritually to please you. Help me to dress in a way that brings you honor.

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