Colossians 3:1-17 Not a day goes by that we don’t have to dress ourselves. I love to have what I call “robe days.” These are days when I go nowhere and just stay in my nightgown all day. Even on those days, however, I have to put a robe on just in case someone comes to the door. Often I find myself thinking ahead about what I am going to wear the next day. Jesus, however, tells us not to think ahead about what we will wear or even what we will eat. Granted, we do need to make some preparations ahead of time, but we should never be absorbed with thoughts of what we will wear or eat. It is interesting that when I get together with other ladies we often are talking about clothes and sharing recipes. I believe our times together would better be used if we talked about the Lord together. After all, without Him we would have neither clothes nor food. When we are absorbed with what we wear and eat, we are declaring we do not trust God to provide these things.
Paying too much attention to my appearance and what I wear is a stronghold I am still battling. Satan knows clothes are my weakness. It amazes me that I will be worshiping the Lord in church and suddenly the thought comes, “What are you going to wear tomorrow?” Guess where that came from! One of the ways I can counter those thoughts is to think immediately about the outfit God wants me to dress myself in every day. What is this outfit?
This outfit is very special because it is fresh and new, and it makes us look like Jesus. This outfit is called “the new man.” Paul says in this passage, “And have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him?.?.?.?”(vs.10). “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye” (vs. 12-13, KJV).
Jesus does not want to see us wearing the old dirty and worn outfit of the old man. This outfit included anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy and filthy communication. Now when I start thinking about what I am going to wear tomorrow, I pray the following prayer:
Lord, there I go again thinking about what I am going to wear. Right now I put on Your garment of praise and I dress myself in the “New Man.” Thank You for this beautiful outfit that makes me look just like You.
READ: Jeremiah 8:8-9:26; Colossians 3:1-17; Psalm 78:26-58; Proverbs 24:27
