God Clothes

Col. 3:12-14  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 (patience)...And regardless of what else you put on, wear love.  It's your basic all-purpose garment.  Never be without it. (MSG)

What we wear says a lot about us.  You might say it offers others a glimpse of who we are.  We dress a certain way for a job interview, to go to work and even to play.  Always being careful to dress so as to convey the appropriate message for whatever the occasion.  Our wardrobe is our witness.

As Christians, we have a special God-picked wardrobe.  Our God clothes.  These attributes of compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength (meekness) and discipline (patience) convey and confirm to others that we have indeed been chosen by God to live out a new life of love.  If we are so careful to put on earthly clothes that define us as people, how much more then should we be concerned about the clothes we put on or "wear" that define us as believers?  When others look at our lives, do they see our God clothes?  I guarantee that by wearing what He has selected for us, we will not only stand out but will have quite an impact on those around us.

Understand, however, that we can still opt to wear something else.  Indifference instead of compassion, cruelty instead of kindness, pride instead of humility, arrogance instead of quiet strength and impatience instead of discipline.  And sometimes, regrettably we do.  But fortunately, when that happens, we can always repent, go back and dress again.  Just think about how many times in the course of a single day we are given the choice of what to "wear" and the opportunity to offer others a glimpse into the life of a sincere Christian. 

There is one garment in particular we are told never to be without.  Love.  After all, that's who He is.  And He is who we are to represent.  The garment of love is not to be worn only on special occasions but rather worn every day.  It will never wear out or be ill-fitting and will always be appropriate and in style.

So as we set out to face each day, may we be mindful of what we choose to wear.  May it always be something from our God-picked wardrobe.  Our God clothes.


Sock Monkey Snippet:  Our wardrobe is our witness.

Walking Worthy

Eph. 4:1-2  I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness, with longsuffering bearing with one another in love...

We are called Christians.  And with that comes a certain expectation by others and by ourselves of how we should act or live our lives.  Certainly, even though we are Christians, we are far from perfect and should never claim to be.  But I think, with God's help, we have a responsibility to do our best to conduct ourselves in a manner that would be pleasing to Him and glorify Him.  This is what the apostle Paul calls "walking worthy".  He declares that our label as Christians should not only be fitting but evident and our lives a daily demonstration of our calling.

Paul offers three characteristics of "worthy walking" believers.  First, we need to be humble (lowly) and not prideful.  Always esteeming others better than ourselves (Phil. 2:3).  Second, we must be meek and not provokable.  We must possess a mild and forgiving spirit (2 Cor. 10:1, Gal. 5:23).  And finally, we must be longsuffering and not perturbed.  Patience is easily lost and often hard to find.  All too quickly and easily we find faults and shortcomings in others while forgetting that we too have them.  We must bear with one another in "agape" or unconditional love despite our flaws.

These three characteristics aren't idealistic and unachievable.  They do not require superhuman ability or suffering, just an everyday conscious effort to employ.  They are not "loud" virtues and as such do not draw attention to themselves.  The Barnes Bible Commentary, on these verses, says it best.

"It is not by great deeds only, not by great sufferings only; it is by the daily and quiet virtues of life (the walking worthy as I see it) that good is to be done; and in this all may be useful."


Sock Monkey Snippet:  Walk worthy of your calling.

Time Management

2 Pet. 3:8  But beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day.

Successful, productive people almost always practice effective time management.  They make the most of every minute squeezing a sometimes seemingly infinite number of tasks into a finite amount of time.  They have to manage their time because they are constrained by it.  Also, the things they do and the decisions they make need to be timely.  The timing is every bit as important as the task or the decision.  Timing truly is everything.

God however, and as we see here, is not bound by the constraints of time.  Time does not limit or control Him.  He controls it.  He functions in and from the boundless, immeasurable realm of eternity.  From our human perspective of time, He can work quickly or He can be long suffering and move slowly.  But with God the issue is never about getting things done in a certain amount of time.  It is about getting them done at exactly the right time.  In due season.  In the fullness of time.  Not according to any human deadline.  God is usually never early according to our schedule but never late according to His.

When we look expectantly in faith, trusting God to help us in times of trouble or suffering, we must understand that although a single day may seem like a thousand years to us under these circumstances, God will always deliver us at exactly the right time.  Not a minute before or a minute after.  Now that's time management!


Sock Monkey Snippet:  God will always deliver us at exactly the right time.

How Long?

Ps. 13:1, 2  How long, O Lord?  Will You forget me forever?  How long will You hide Your face from me?  How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?  How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

Ever felt like God has forgotten you or at least turned His face away?  Ever felt like He didn't care or wasn't concerned about you?  Ever felt like the enemy was winning?  Well, you're in good company.  David felt the same way.  Here he asks God repeatedly, "How Long?".  How long are these trials and suffering going to continue?  Did You forget me?  Don't You care?  Why is the enemy winning?  A short time enduring trials and suffering can seem like an eternity.  Feelings of anxiety, desperation and hopelessness overwhelm us.  David expresses them here.

At some point in our lives, our circumstances can cause us to lose faith and ask the same questions borne out of our troubling situation that David did.  It is then, difficult as it is, that we must walk by faith and not by our sight or our feelings (2Cor. 5:7).

Remember when Peter was asked by Jesus to step out of the boat and come to Him?  It was only when Peter took his eyes of faith off of Jesus and looked at the stormy circumstances around him (Mt. 14:30) that he began to sink.  Jesus never lost sight of Peter.  Peter lost sight of Jesus.

David (v. 3) asked God to "enlighten his eyes".  To allow him to see by faith.  To see God even in the darkness of a storm.  God, enlighten our eyes, too.  May we never lose sight of You during our storm.

God will never forget us (Isa. 49:14-16, Mt. 28:20).  God cares for us (1Pet. 5:7).  And so long as we don't quit, we can and will overcome any circumstances or any enemy.  We are more than conquerors (Rom. 8:37).  In the midst of our storm of trials and suffering, we must keep our eyes of faith focused on the Author and the Finisher of it (Heb. 12:2).  No matter how long!


Sock Monkey Snippet:  Have focused faith not fearful feelings.

In All This

Job 1:22  In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

Job had it all.  He was healthy, wealthy and blessed with a large family.  The Bible says that (v.3) he was the greatest of all the people of the East.  He had every reason to worship and have faith in God because his life couldn't have been better.

Then, except for his own life, he lost absolutely everything.  Hundreds even thousands of animals.  Gone.  Ten children.  Gone.  Perfect health.  Gone.  Imagine having everything and then suddenly having nothing.  Job went from being the richest to being the poorest.  Few of us will ever experience such tragedy and devastation in our lives.

If anyone had reason to lose hope, waver in faith and question God, it would have been Job.  Yet we're told simply, almost nonchalantly, that in all this Job didn't sin nor did he question God's wisdom (charge Him with wrong).

In all this, Job maintained his integrity not wanting to be found by God to be a hypocrite (27:8).  The Hebrew word for hypocrite (chaneph) literally means soiled by sin.  Job was determined that his actions were going to be governed by his faith and not by his feelings.  That his faith was going to be proven genuine and sincere, in other words, without deceit (Jn. 1:47) or hypocrisy.  Not soiled by sin.  The Greek word for hypocrite (hupokrites) means behind a mask as if acting.  Job's faith was not just acting when times were good.  It was proven authentic when times were not.

In all this, Job didn't question God's wisdom.  He patiently endured, being content (Ph. 4:11) in whatever situation or circumstance he found himself.  Having a contented mind not prone to impatience.  Knowing that God was and is right in all His ways.

In all this, Job worshipped (v.20) and blessed (v.21) God.  It is interesting to read that the very first thing Satan took from Job, even before his children, was his livestock.  He tried to destroy Job's ability to worship by taking away his sacrificial animals.  But Job still worshipped.

We are all faced with trials, tests and afflictions in life.  At times, as in Job's life, they can be almost unbearable.  Yet, in all this, if we remain steadfast in faith, contented in mind and determined in worship, God will surely bless us just like he blessed Job (42:12).

Sock Monkey Snippet:  Remain steadfast in faith, contented in mind and determined in worship.

Faith and Patience

Heb. 6:12  ...do not become lazy, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Faith and patience are two rare commodities in today's society.  Believing beyond our circumstances and then waiting or patiently enduring are almost unnatural for us.  We're more likely to react based upon what we can see and become discouraged or disappointed when things don't happen when we think they should.

If we're honest, we all struggle at times with having faith and patience.  Yet these are the two keys to realizing God's fulfilled promises in our lives.  Notice that they are inseparable.  You can have faith but no patience.  If so, you'll get tired of waiting.  You can have patience but no faith.  If so, you'll get tired of believing or enduring.  Both are necessary.  Faith expects and patience endures.

Chapter 11 of Hebrews is filled with the names of those who are great examples for us to follow.  We're told to imitate such people and be encouraged by them that we might not become lazy but remain steadfast in our own faith.

We are meant to inherit God's promises.  He can not and will not go back on His word.  We just need to expect and endure.


Sock Monkey Snippet:  Faith expects and patience endures.