WHITE POLYESTER
DISCO SUITS
It is reported that Albert Einstein once said, "The problem with the speed of light is, it comes too early in the morning!" Can you identify with that statement? How do you approach the task of getting up in the morning? Some people, like ol' Albert, have a bit of trouble and they mumble and grumble and fumble their way towards the light of day. Others bound out of bed with nary a frown, or unkind sound on their lips. Instead, they are excited and delighted to rise to the heights of another day.
In our family, I can honestly say that both types of people exist. Which, of courses, makes mornings dangerous as the two opposing forces meet. You see, if on any given morning, the mumblers become finely-tuned grumblers; and the excited are especially delighted, then a fight is quickly incited! Let's face it, there's nothing worse than someone who is bubbling over with cheerfulness, when it takes all your concentration just to remember how to breathe.
I bet you can guess from which side of the bed I fall! My only consolation is that no matter how grumpy I might be in the morning, I'll never be as bad as my brother. Unfortunately, it was often my task to go into his room and wake him up. My brother, Bob, wouldn't wake up unless you poked and prodded him. That created a problem-- even at the tender age of sixteen, he was six foot six with an arm length and mass in keeping with the rest of his being. To make matters worse, his reaction to being poked was to swing. In fact, he would quite literally swing before his eyes opened. It was an involuntary reaction of sorts, at least that's what he always told me. So, I had to get real good at pushing, then ducking at just the right moment.
Regardless of how you wake up in the morning, we all have to do the same things, right? We have to make pit stops and get washed up and put our clothes on. Without getting too personal, I imagine that most of you likely put on clothes that are clean; clothes that are fresh. That would be especially true for those clothes that are worn closest to your skin.
Each day we get up and put on the new, fresh, clean stuff and then bag, burn or hide our dirty stuff, right? That is, unless you're a young boy. In that case, what's put on in the morning is whatever's easiest, nearest, and visible. It makes no difference how crusty those convenient clothes kicking around the floor might be, if they're within reach, on they go!
That is, until that young boy comes downstairs to get ready for school and his mother sees him; and asks the age old question, "You're not going to school like that are you?" Or, if the child needs a bit more direction than rhetorical questions, mom says: "Get back upstairs and change those clothes; and you better have clean underwear on!" What does all this haberdashery mishmash have to do with the spiritual side of life? I'm glad you asked! Paul, in Colossians 3:12, said,"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Gee, I bet you didn't know that Paul was a fashion consultant, did you?
If you take a moment to read chapter three of Colossians, you'll see that there is a recurring image of taking off the old crusties and putting on the spiffy-clean new. Paul reminds us that when we became Christians, we in actuality, became new creations with a new nature and a new power, and a new capacity to live lives in keeping with being "chosen", "holy", and "dearly loved". And, guess what? Our new selves don't have the same dress, or pant size. The old stuff, the worldly stuff, like sexual sin, rage, malice, slander and lying are to be cast aside (Col. 3:8-10).
Like that old white polyester disco suit in the back of your closet, the sinful crusty actions (clothes) of your old life are ugly, unnatural, uncomfortable, not to mention, a few sizes too small! Besides, let's face it, even if they did fit, who would want to wear them and be reminded of a time in your life when you actually found such clothing fashionable? Nostalgia ain't what it used to be, especially in spiritual terms. We're not to look back, but to instead, press on towards the goal (Phil 3:13-14).
Each day, each new day, since you came to Christ, you've had a choice. Do I put on my old crusties, or do I put on my fresh new heavenly-fashion threads. What choice do you usually make? Have you changed your clothes lately?
Maybe you're like the little kid who doesn't know any better, and keeps wearing the same old clothes cause it's easier than opening your closet and looking for the new clean ones? Well, that's ok, if you're a babe in Christ. Little ones need to be taught how to properly dress themselves. It takes time to realize the need to change into something clean. But, that time should come as you grow in your faith.
Maybe you've been dressing yourself for a while now, but there are still times when you dress like you're at camp. You may have a clean shirt, but you have the same old socks and underwear on. Maybe they're not even yours! There are times when we need to be reminded that our Heavenly Father has packed enough clean clothes for our entire journey. He has given us everything we need to walk through life with clean clothes on.
Maybe you're used to putting on clean clothes each day cause you've been dressing yourself long enough to know when old clothes just aren't acceptable anymore. Ah, that's what we are looking for. That's the idea! That's the fashion statement we are all capable of making and unlike white polyester disco suites, our new clothes will never go out of fashion!
