What are you wearing?

Yesterday I had the privilege on volunteering in Hadleigh's Bible Study Class at BSF (Bible Study Fellowship). I was supposed to work in the 4&5 year old class, but the other volunteer had to cancel and more help was needed in the 2&3 year old class. So I happily got to spend those 2 hours with Hadleigh, observing her with her friends and teachers. I was happy to see that while she thought it was fun to have me there, she would often still go to her teachers and play with them during play time or sit by them while singing. (She did clearly let us know that she wanted to sit by me during the Bible lesson, though!)

The two teachers taught the children their Bible verse to the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell", and I am reminded of how verses set to music makes "hiding God's word in my heart" easy to remember. For I have been singing
"Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 13:14"
out loud and in my head ever since!

And so, I have been thinking about what that means. The whole verse reads "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." And then, if you put the verse further in context, you read this:
verses 11-14
"And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature."

I have to admit that I pridefully read the beginning of that list of sins, thinking...well, those awful sinful desires don't apply to me. I would never want to gratify those things...but then I get to dissension and jealousy and think...hmmm...I'm guilty there. And if you read verses 8-10, it reminds us of the 10 commandments, and I know that, as a sinner, I am not innocent of those.

So I realize that there are things that I am clothed in that are not Christ...things that others might not see because I am "behaving decently, as in the daytime" but are there, nonetheless. Things like desiring recognition and esteem from others, trying to be the perfect mom/wife/woman without relying on God, desiring material things, complaining, etc. And even if others don't necessarily see all those things that I am clothed in, the brilliance of Christ, the "armor of light" as Paul writes must not shine as brightly if other garments are in the way. And others will miss that Light.

So that's what I've been thinking about today...how I can shed those things that take away from shining for Christ and how I can purposefully clothe myself in the Lord Jesus Christ, for after all, He has clothed me in His righteousness. And so, I encourage you to look and see what it is exactly, that you are wearing.

As we walked to the car after Bible Study, Hadleigh asked me if I would be in her class again next time. And I told her that I would have to go back to Mommy's class next week. She nodded and smiled and said "Go to Mommy's class." But what wisdom I gleaned from listening to what little children were taught. A true blessing to have been in that classroom that day.