Wrong Side Out

Wrong Side Out

I was shopping with Mom.  We were having such a good day!  We went into one store in our local mall.  I tried on several outfits and even bought a couple of them. I was really excited because I hadn’t bought anything new in a while. 

When we went to make our purchases, Mom saw someone she knew.  She is a retired schoolteacher and many of her former students will often chat with her when they see her.  She was a great teacher and very much enjoys catching up with her students when she sees them.

When we checked out, we decided to go somewhere else.  I was feeling great.  As we walked into the store, one of the sales ladies spoke to us.  She even said she liked my shirt.  Of course, that lifted my spirits too. 

I picked out a few more items to try on.  When I got into the dressing room, I looked at myself in the mirror.  I couldn’t figure out where that white piece of paper clinging to shirt came from.  It was when I reached down to grab it that I realized it was the tag from my shirt.  I had it on wrong side out. 

So the lady who said she liked my shirt never realized I had my shirt on inside out.  Or did she?  LOL.  I guess I will never really know for sure.  In the long run, it didn’t really matter.  I’m sure I’m not the first person who ever walked into a store with their shirt on wrong. 

As Christians, we adorn ourselves with the spiritual and that is so much more important than the physical.  Paul describes a beautiful wardrobe for the soul in Colossians 3.  Wait!  Before we get a new wardrobe, we have to get rid of the old one, right?

We are to put off anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language, and lying (Colossians 3:8-9).  These are things the old creature is supposed to get rid of.  Whew!  That is a lot to throw away!  A few verses before this Paul said we needed to put to death fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness. (3:5)

Sometimes changing out an entire wardrobe gets a little complicated.  We may want to hold on to a few of our old favorites.  It is not always easy to keep my anger under control, for one thing.  Sometimes I want to wear my feelings out on my sleeve. 

It becomes easier when we discover our new spiritual wardrobe.  The new creature in Christ is “renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.” (verse 10)  Let’s think about that.  Our new knowledge of Christ – renews us.  It changes the way we think – how we look at things.  Those of us who know and follow Christ begin to emulate Him.  We become like Him.  We live according to His image.  Isn’t that amazing?!

Our wardrobe then – what we put on as “holy and beloved” Christians – is tender mercy, kindness, meekness, longsuffering.  We bear with one another.  We forgive one another.  That is an important one – if we have a complaint against someone, what do we do?  We forgive one another; even as Christ forgave us.  (Colossians 3:12-13)

The last thing in our closet?  The finishing touch – the thing that makes everything we dress our inner spirit with beautiful? 

“But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”  (3:14) And I do not think we can wear these items wrong side out.  Do you?

Christ above all things – Robin