Wear the Right Clothes

This isn't exactly my first real post, but I wanted to post a segment of this article. I subscribe to the Above Rubies e-newsletter and received this a few days ago and it really blessed me. How often do we continue wearing the same "old clothes" of selfishness, greed, attitudes of complaining and grumbling, sour spirits, etc.? The Bible calls us to "throw those things off" and put on our new wardrobe, which is far lovelier! Hope you enjoy this and I promise to post in a few days something the Lord showed in my my quiet time last week.

Ephesians 2:22-24, "Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which was corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness."

When you were born again by the Spirit of God, you received a new wardrobe. It is a very expensive wardrobe, paid for by the precious blood of Christ. You have so many beautiful garments hanging in this wardrobe. You have lovely dresses of love, joy, peace, long suffering gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23).

You have delightful garments of tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long suffering, forbearance and forgiveness. (Colossians 3:12-17). The strange thing is that although we have this expensive wardrobe, we don't always bother to wear the clothes. We are so used to our old shabby clothes of the flesh. We feel more comfortable in them. They feel familiar, so we stick with them instead of trying out our new wardrobe. To put on a beautiful dress of gentleness or patience can seem foreign because we are not used to wearing them. But they belong to you! They are yours! Imagine if your husband purchased a very special and pricey dress for you. You couldn't believe how posh it was. But you never wore it. You thought it was too good for you. How would your husband feel when he paid so much for it and wanted to be proud of you wearing it?I wonder how God feels when He gives us this glorious wardrobe, purchased at an enormous price, and we never wear the garments? He gives them to us but He doesn't put them on us. He tells us to PUT THEM ON. "Put on the new man ..."

I love the J. B. Phillip's translation which says, "Fling off the dirty clothes of the old way of living ... And put on the clean fresh clothes of the new life ..." Make sure you put on a new garment each morning. Have you had a lousy night with the baby waking all night? Are you going through a fiery ordeal? Put on the garment of praise. (Isaiah 61:1-3).

Let me tell you a secret. You won't feel like putting it on. You'd much rather put on your dirty old dress of grumbling and complaining. But do it by faith. Don't worry about your feelings. Put on your praise garment. Start praising and thanking the Lord. As you do it by faith, you will actually wear it.You can change garments as you need them throughout the day.

Are the children getting on your nerves? You feel your anger rising. Quick! Change into your garment of long-suffering or patience. Put it on by faith. Thank the Lord for His patience which is in you because He lives in you. Are you starting to shout and yell because everything is getting on top of you? Put on the garment of gentleness. Thank the Lord for His gentle spirit which lives in you. This is the new man. It is Christ in you, the hope of glory. He lives in you now. All these beautiful garments belong to you. They are yours. All you have to do is put them on by faith! Strip of your old shabby garments. Wear your new ones each day. Live in them. Let Christ live His beautiful life through you.