A New Wardrobe

 I've been preaching instead of blogging on a regular basis since the spring.  Here is today's sermon:

        On June 10^th, Bible Gateway’s verse of the day was Colossians 3:12.  It appeared on my Kindle screen in The Message translation:  "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."  Immediately, I jotted down the reference and a few brief notes, recognizing that this verse was going to give birth to a sermon.

The first word I jotted down was dreams to remind me of a particular recurring dream in which I suddenly discover a closet full of beautiful clothing—a whole new wardrobe for me!  I happily choose an outfit . . . and then I wake up, disappointed that the dream is not reality.

I like the imagery of God choosing a wardrobe for believers.  Whether you are a fashion buff or not, clothing is important.  It helps us live comfortably when we dress according to the season.  Imagine how uncomfortable we all would be clothed in winter attire today!  Clothing also makes a statement about who we are . . . or what we can afford.  Other people form opinions about us based on what we wear.  Yes, clothing styles are radically different than in the Apostle Paul’s lifetime, but his use of analogy still strikes home today.

I wonder what would happen if every morning we intentionally reviewed God’s wardrobe for us.  And what would happen if we made daily efforts to try it on?

Getting dressed in our own wardrobe is pretty automatic.  I mean, once you have chosen your clothing for the day, it goes on easily.  Unless, for example, you are working with arthritic fingers that don’t manage small buttons the way they used to.  Or unless you are a toddler just learning how to get dressed.

I think of my grandson, Josiah, who is bound and determined to tackle the problem of dressing himself.  He regularly practices with any stray piece of clothing he can find.  I’ve seen him put dirty socks on over his clean socks, pull a larger shirt over his head, and struggle with the mystery of winter coat sleeves—the coat zipper always ends up at his back.  He is determined.

I’m not exactly sure how to apply Josiah’s determination to clothe myself in God’s wardrobe, but I daresay it involves motivation and practice over a lifetime. 

As with any analogy, this one breaks down after closer examination.  Putting on God’s wardrobe of “tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” is very different from getting dressed for the day or, in Josiah’s case, trying on random garments.  For instance, have you ever said to yourself, “I’m going to be patient today,” and utterly failed? 

Putting on the Christian virtues is impossible on our own.  If we could, then we would not need Jesus Christ.  Christian virtues get developed in our lives as a result of an ongoing relationship with Christ.  As we spend time in prayer, Bible study, and other spiritual disciplines, our inner lives are gradually transformed.  As we get more connected with the reality of God’s undeserved and generous love for us, we want to know him more.  As we choose love for him as our guiding light, he teaches us how to love each other.

You see, God has chosen our wardrobe.  In fact, he is the source

 of it.  You might say that he is our wardrobe.  Galatians 3:27 says,

“And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ,

like putting on new clothes.”

Putting on Christ is, I think, the key to understanding.  If we grit our teeth and try harder to put on a single virtue—let’s go back to everyone’s favorite, patience—it does not work.  But if our desire is to love Christ, to serve him, to be obedient to him, then his character—his virtues—rub off on us by association.  Spending time with him and admiring his wardrobe—in other words, worshipping him, praising him for who he is, and thanking him for everything—puts us in the position of being transformed by him.

I think we have all heard the words, “Be careful of the company you keep.”  The people we are around, the ones we do life with, affect us.  If I keep company with Christ, he is bound to affect me.  In fact, he promises to transform me.  And how I long for exactly that.  That long, slow process of transformation requires my cooperation.  I need to keep company with him.  I need not give up because of my failures.  Like my grandson, I need to persevere.  Then, someday I will throw open that closet door and find, to my delight, that God’s wardrobe fits and is not just a dream.