Clean Up Time!!
So about
a week or so ago I went through my wardrobe, a task that I'm surely not fond
of. Clothes were everywhere...hanging off hangers for dear life, bulging out of
the already tight bundle of clothes, or discreetly tucked away...way, way, in
the back. When I pulled some them out,
surprisingly so (well maybe not so much), little dry rot holes had begun to
form. Other clothes I had long forgotten
about. And yet others had
"magically shrunk" because I just couldn't seem to fit them anymore
(whistles in the air o_O). The deeper I
went into the jungle of my closet, the more I realized many articles of
clothing were outdated! Overwhelmed, I
trudged forward with the duty. I could
no longer tolerate the appearance of a mess that represented my closet...or for
that matter, that represented me. So I
cleaned up!
Can You Say, Custom Fitted??
It was
around the same time I cleaned my sty of a closet that I came across this
scripture in my devotional time...Colossians 3:9-14 (MSG) "Don't lie to
one another. You're done with that old
life. It's like a filthy set of
ill-fitting clothes you've stripped off and put in the fire. Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is
custom-made by the Creator, with His label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete.... So,
chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out
for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline...And
regardless to whatever else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it." I was actually quite floored.
Out with the Old, In with the New
For one,
how funny God can be at times to strategically tie in an unlikely real life
scenario to a biblical principle. God is
awesome! But what really had me in awe
was the fact that as Christians...we tend to treat our new way of life the same
way we do our closets. We recognize
there are some ill-fitting, way too small, outdated clothes tucked away in our
closets. But we think to ourselves
"I'm gonna lose the pounds to get back into those!" Or "geesh those looked really cute on
me!" Or "I spent way too much
money on those to give/throw away!"
We all have had those inner turmoil conversations. And in our Christian lives we want to hold on
to unforgiveness because "well you just don't know what she did to
me." Or "one lie won't
hurt!" We think that if we can just
hold on to these old life tendencies for a while longer, we'll gain some
benefit from it.
Shameful Truth Indeed...
But the
truth is, the only thing we'll gain is a life full of more misery, sin, chaos,
and separation from God. Ephesians 4:22 (NLT) says "THROW OFF your old
sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and
deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew
your thoughts and attitudes. PUT ON your new nature, created to be like
God---truly righteous and holy." (emphasis mine). When we accept Jesus Christ into our lives,
that acceptance comes with a brand new, custom-made set of
"clothing." Every stitch and
every fiber has Jesus Christ's label and stamp of approval on it. God paid a high price to ensure we get the
best fitting, best looking clothes ever (1 Corinthians 7:23 NLT)!! That price
was paid by the sacrifice and blood of His Son, our Savior Jesus Christ.
Those New Clothes Look Good on You!!
So my
brothers and sisters...let go! The
ill-fitting clothes of our sinful nature can and will never have a place with
God. Hand over unforgiveness in exchange
for reconciliation. Pride for humility.
Depression for joy. Though it may
take some time getting used to the new fit, I assure you it'll fit and suit you
nicely as you strut with quiet confidence.
God loves us more than anything and He desires that we represent Him to
the fullest...and looking sharp doing it!
Be blessed =)
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