Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Have you ever gotten a new outfit? In those times, you want everyone to notice and recognize that you got a new outfit. You got some new digs. Every time one of my daughters has a prom or something else, it becomes this huge ordeal. We have to go to the store, spend hours looking at dress after dress after dress after dress, shoes—everything has to be perfect about this new outfit.
Imagine if we come home though. She gets out the outfit, the shoes, and gets all decked out. She tries everything on, walks out, does a little fashion show for the family so we can see her new outfit, goes back and hangs up the new dress, puts the shoes away, and they stay in the closet. No one gets to see them after that. It's just you got a new outfit and we just celebrate that moment, but it's never actually worn.
Don't Hide Your New Creation
You know, we find ourselves considering the same concept, although that may seem crazy to do that. Why would we even bother getting a new outfit just to hang it up in the closet for no one actually to appreciate, enjoy, see, or use? We can tend to actually do that in our own Christian lives.
There's a great passage in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 17, and it says:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new.
And that's a great precursor to our verse of the day today. Our verse of the day is in Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 24 and it says:
Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
I love how it uses that same concept of clothes, of put it on, put on the new nature that we have in Christ. It's for others to see. And a lot of times that's the way I describe it for a prom dress or something like that, or a new outfit.
We can tend to do that with our Christian faith, where we become a new creation. We have this new outward appearance that others should be able to see—that something different in us—and we hang it up. We put it nice and neatly and say, "I'm a Christian now," and we kind of set it aside and we don't pay attention to actually ensuring that we are clothing ourselves constantly in the attributes of God.
Clothed in God's Attributes
And some of us may say, "Well, how in the world do I clothe myself in the attributes of God?" Well, we're given the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians. It describes them as love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control. If I go through that list and you're saying, "Oh my goodness, I'm not succeeding in this, or I'm not feeling very loving or I'm not feeling very kind," that's the beauty of it.
Although we talk about being clothed in the new nature, it actually starts from within. It's something that the Spirit of God can only give us. It's a fruit of His. And so if you're not seeming to be clothed in the attributes of God, that's a great time to take a step back and ask God to fill you with His Spirit. Focus on Him, because that's why it goes on into the verse that we're created to be like God, truly righteous and holy. That's our goal. That's our aim—to be more like Christ.
Clothed in Christ
As we have the focal point of we want to be more like this person or that person, or keep up with those around us, what if we turn that focus to keeping up with being more like Christ, clothing ourselves in His attributes? And it has to start from within.
I would encourage you to take some time and take a checklist of where are you at. Are you clothed? Are you as passionate about the clothing that you have on that's Christ-like, that's very prominent and evident to those around us, as you would be a new garment, a new outfit that you want the world to see?
I would just encourage you to take some time and consider that it's not just focusing on impressing everyone, but having time with the Lord, allowing His Spirit to change us from the inside out for others to see that we are clothed in His righteousness.
