These days, I feel perfectly content wearing my pajamas all day long.
Haha, can I get an “amen”?
In these extraordinary times, I’m cutting myself some slack. I hope that you are, too.
But there is another, “spiritual” outfit we choose to wear.
Paul writes in Colossians 3:12 (NIV), “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
We can’t slack-off when it comes to putting on the character of Christ each day.
As we set our minds and hearts on living with Christlike attitude, remember these 3 pieces of fashion advice for the day:
1. Without the hope of the Gospel, we would be stuck wearing the same, dirty clothes every day.
After Adam and Eve sinned, they tried to clothe themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7). Their once flourishing relationship with God (and one another) was broken, and it was now marked by shame and guilt. But “fig leaves” was the best they could do to hide their sin-filled shame.
But then, compassionately and symbolically, God clothed them with garments of skin in (Genesis 3:21). He still couldn’t ignore their sinfulness though. He couldn’t ignore the fact that their relationship with him, humanity’s relationship with him, was still broken.
So in his gracious mercy, God sent his Son, Jesus, to suffer the consequence of our sin for us, that we might be clothed in his righteousness.
And now, as the “chosen, holy and dearly loved” children of God by faith, we are called to accordingly put on the character of Christ every day.
2. Trash your old clothes. Embrace the new wardrobe God has given you!
Under quarantine, all-day pajamas are acceptable. But anything less than our spiritual “Sunday best” should feel out of place!
What if Cinderella had worn a pair of Air Jordan’s, rather than a pair of glass slippers?
What if a Police Officer went to work in a tutu, rather than a uniform?
We need to get rid, and keep getting rid, of anger, slander, lies, and a judgmental attitude (vv. 8-9). Your “old self” belongs in the garbage, or in Paul’s words, “put to death” (v. 9, 5). The “new self” (v. 10) is marked above all by love and expressed through compassion, kindness and patience.
3. Struggling to fit into your new clothes? Remember that you are forgiven, and start forgiving others.
Our memory verse for the day might be
verse 13: “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
And before we are tempted to reach into the back corners of our dresser drawers and pull out those old, ugly clothes, let us remember the Gospel.
How incredible is the forgiveness that we have in Jesus Christ?
Don’t try to start forgiving others while motivated by anything less than the overwhelming love of God.
Alright, there it is, the only fashion advice I’ll ever feel comfortable giving.
Feel free to wear your pajamas with pride today. But when it comes to your character and attitude, don’t settle for anything less than Christ likeness. It looks good on you. I promise.
