I don’t remember what day it was, but I saw on the news where Sean Duffy, the Secretary of Transportation, asked people to “dress with respect” when they come to the airports. He also said, “Don’t wear slippers or pajamas.”
It
was part of a bigger message to be more civil to each other while flying – to
say “please” and “thank you.” While many
people scoffed at this, I get what he meant.
What I wear sometimes makes a difference in
the way I act. I have a T-shirt from
Maywood Christian camp that says “Love Like Jesus” on it. Just wearing it makes me behave more kindly
to those around me.
It
is like I’m trying to live up to what the shirt says. Wouldn’t it be bad if I had that shirt on and
then pitched a temper fit in public? Or
if someone heard me cursing while I was wearing it?
I’m
fairly sure I am not the only person who has items of clothing that remind them
to behave a certain way. Ladies, in this
respect, I think clothing does make the person.
Several
passages in scripture use clothing as a metaphor for godly behavior. They should really make us stop and think
about how we act and what we say.
When
Job lamented the life he had before he lost virtually everything including his
health he said: “I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice
was like a robe and a turban. I
was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame,” (Job 29:14-15).
Galatians 3:27 is a verse many of us are
familiar with. “For as many of you as
were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” I sometimes wonder if we’ve quoted this
verse so often we forget the impact it should have on us.
Putting
on Christ is a big deal! It changes
everything! The idea of putting on
Christ is powerful. Not only do we wear
His name but everything we do should be a representation of Him.
People
should be able to see the beauty of Jesus in us. We transform our lives to become more and
more like Christ.
This
happens by the renewing of our mind so “that by testing you may discern what
is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect,” (Romans
12:2).
Putting
on Christ through baptism is an honor.
We become members of God’s body.
But with the blessing, comes responsibility. We should live in such a way that people know
we belong to Christ.
We
live for Him now, so we can live with
Him in heaven forever.
Christ
above all things – Robin
