Getting Dressed
I've been thinking a lot about clothes. Mostly because a conversation happened and some strong opinions were offered. And then I think, sometimes it's just silly.
Silly that some believers feel so strongly that we should be dressed a certain way to attend a church service, or a church school. For appearances - for what we appear as to the world that sees us.
I'm convinced that the world needs to see us dressed in a few things, for sure. But these were not the things that were discussed in the above mentioned conversation.
While I am a huge supporter of modesty ~ I am not a supporter of dressing a certain way in order to show the world who we are.
We should not seek to impress the world with our appearance, but AFFECT their hearts with the love of God. Impressions are better made displaying the heart more than the outer shell.
Too much focus on pretenses and formalities detracts from real PURPOSE, real LOVE, real TRUTH.
I discovered some beautiful verses in the Bible that address the real clothing we should be concerned about wearing.
So, here's the first ~
"You should clothe yourselves instead with beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God." (1 Peter 3:4, NLT)
Beauty that comes from within. It can change your countenance. It can change you and others will notice just because it is pouring out of you.
And then ~
"Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." (Col. 3:12, NLT)
Again, there is that gentleness.
Next ~
"Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony." (Col.3:14, NLT)
I love music. There is something about it that reaches my spirit in powerful ways. I love it when voices sing out in harmony - that perfect combining of different notes to create a single sound. Love can do that too. It is a binding agent, a perfect combining method.
Simple.
Love one another.
Last, but not even near the least ~
"Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom.13:14, NLT)
Beautiful. To be clothed with the presence of the Lord! If we all wore Christ as we ought, what a phenomenal message to the world that would be. To have Jesus pouring out of our hearts, oozing out of our being, flooding the world all over.
So there you have it ... inner beauty, gentleness, kindness, mercy, humility, patience, LOVE (sounds a lot like the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22).
And the presence of the Lord Himself.
I'm pretty sure all those other things are wrapped up in His character.
And if He surrounds us with His presence, and fills us with Himself, we are suitably, and well clothed.
Yes. We. Are.
Silly that some believers feel so strongly that we should be dressed a certain way to attend a church service, or a church school. For appearances - for what we appear as to the world that sees us.
I'm convinced that the world needs to see us dressed in a few things, for sure. But these were not the things that were discussed in the above mentioned conversation.
While I am a huge supporter of modesty ~ I am not a supporter of dressing a certain way in order to show the world who we are.
We should not seek to impress the world with our appearance, but AFFECT their hearts with the love of God. Impressions are better made displaying the heart more than the outer shell.
Too much focus on pretenses and formalities detracts from real PURPOSE, real LOVE, real TRUTH.
I discovered some beautiful verses in the Bible that address the real clothing we should be concerned about wearing.
So, here's the first ~
"You should clothe yourselves instead with beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God." (1 Peter 3:4, NLT)
Beauty that comes from within. It can change your countenance. It can change you and others will notice just because it is pouring out of you.
And then ~
"Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." (Col. 3:12, NLT)
Again, there is that gentleness.
Next ~
"Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony." (Col.3:14, NLT)
I love music. There is something about it that reaches my spirit in powerful ways. I love it when voices sing out in harmony - that perfect combining of different notes to create a single sound. Love can do that too. It is a binding agent, a perfect combining method.
Simple.
Love one another.
Last, but not even near the least ~
"Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom.13:14, NLT)
Beautiful. To be clothed with the presence of the Lord! If we all wore Christ as we ought, what a phenomenal message to the world that would be. To have Jesus pouring out of our hearts, oozing out of our being, flooding the world all over.
So there you have it ... inner beauty, gentleness, kindness, mercy, humility, patience, LOVE (sounds a lot like the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22).
And the presence of the Lord Himself.
I'm pretty sure all those other things are wrapped up in His character.
And if He surrounds us with His presence, and fills us with Himself, we are suitably, and well clothed.
Yes. We. Are.
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