What Are You Wearing?

But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:8-14 NIV

Styles--what we wear--in clothes, shoes, and other apparel--often change as rapidly as we can blink our eyes. But whether we follow the trendiness of all these changes doesn't matter. It's not the clothes who make us who we are--it is who we are that makes a difference in what we wear--not only materially, but spiritually.

I know some people can hardly wait for the new fashion seasons to start and those with money--big money--have a "must-have" mentality and will go anywhere and pay any amount to have what they want to wear--to make sure people pay attention to them. We know this because "red carpet" events always emphasize what people are wearing--on the outside. But what resides on the inside of the person? That's what usually comes out and determines the character of the person.

If a person looks good on the outside, but nothing worth having resides on the inside--bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, rage, jealousy, bigotry and hatred--nothing they put on the shell of the body will make a difference in the greater scheme of things. Why? Because God looks upon the heart--not the outside--of anyone.

It won't matter how much money a person spends to make themselves look good on the outside if the inside--the spirit person--is need of cleansing and renewal. What happens in the "renewal process" of the sinner to the saint--cannot be purchased for any amount of money--we either submit to God's leading or we don't.

So, if we think we are something when we are nothing--we only fool ourselves and the real "us" will be seen in how we treat others. Time to change clothes yet?

If we ever expect to see unity--of all mankind--determined to be submitted to Holy Spirit and do things out of obedience--we must learn to wear love as tightly knit garment to hold in the virtues of compassion, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, peace, humility, and righteousness--keeping out all of the old stuff--belonging to the un-regenerated person.

Now, what are you wearing?