I am not what I wear!
Standing in my closet once again on a Sunday morning, my heart is not geared towards the coming fellowship or sermon. How many Sundays, Tuesday morning Bible Studies or MOPS must I stand in my closet and my only preoccupation is with my clothes? I stand in a spiritual quake known as an Identity Crisis. Who I am in Christ is replaced by my desire to be accepted by my fellow Christians.
Disclaimer: I only WISH that were my closet. ;)
For the record the amazing women God has put in my life these last few months that I desire so much to please couldn't care less about my attire. It is plain and simple Satan and my sin nature working together to distract me from the purpose of my every move; to know God and make God known. In high school, I remember wishing for uniforms. In my professional life, I remember envying my husband's old military uniform.
The great thing is that God has given us some great guide posts in His Word that we can rest in when our flesh nature rears its ugly head.
1 Peter 3:3 tells us, "Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel--" I've mentioned once before the wonderful young woman I mentored years ago (who is coincidentally graduating college and turning 21 this month, where does the time go?). In those Sunday morning moments, she would stop and pray, realigning her sights back onto Jesus. Peter admonishes us to remember that our focus, if any of our focus is on us should be what we give from the inside; our patience, gentleness, self control, long suffering, you know, the fruit. I much rather be a mismatched kind person than an in vogue nasty person. Peter goes on to say in verse 4, "rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." Now that is something that won't go out of season. Amen!
Going a bit deeper
ἀλλ᾽ ὁ κρυπτὸς τῆς καρδίας ἄνθρωπος ἐν τῷ ἀφθάρτῳ τοῦ πρᾳέος καὶ ἡσυχίου πνεύματος ὅ ἐστιν ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ πολυτελές 1 Peter 3:4
I just put that 'cause I think it looks positively beautiful in the original text don't you. Kind of like anything sounds pleasant if its said in Italian, everything looks lovely in Greek. :)
The word in Greek here for gentle is praus or praos or prays; πραΰς, meaning meek. I think any feminist tendency in us balks at the inference we must be meek. Thankful Jesus uses this word of Himself in Matthew 11:29, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."
Oh how my heart skips a beat at this verse. Jesus is calling us to learn of him and in doing so we will find rest for our souls. I am such a DIY nut. I am a perpetual nester and am forever decorating, redecorating, rearranging my home to make it more and more pleasant and restful. At the end of the day our true restfulness and our identity is in Jesus Christ. No amount of outer adornment will replace that deep and abiding relationship with Jesus Christ. I pray we can together find that sweet place where out identity is in Him and Him alone. We are precious dear ones. We are truly and splendidly precious.
Sources used for this study:
Blue Letter Bible
Bible Gateway
Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words
For the record the amazing women God has put in my life these last few months that I desire so much to please couldn't care less about my attire. It is plain and simple Satan and my sin nature working together to distract me from the purpose of my every move; to know God and make God known. In high school, I remember wishing for uniforms. In my professional life, I remember envying my husband's old military uniform.
The great thing is that God has given us some great guide posts in His Word that we can rest in when our flesh nature rears its ugly head.
1 Peter 3:3 tells us, "Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel--" I've mentioned once before the wonderful young woman I mentored years ago (who is coincidentally graduating college and turning 21 this month, where does the time go?). In those Sunday morning moments, she would stop and pray, realigning her sights back onto Jesus. Peter admonishes us to remember that our focus, if any of our focus is on us should be what we give from the inside; our patience, gentleness, self control, long suffering, you know, the fruit. I much rather be a mismatched kind person than an in vogue nasty person. Peter goes on to say in verse 4, "rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." Now that is something that won't go out of season. Amen!
Going a bit deeper
ἀλλ᾽ ὁ κρυπτὸς τῆς καρδίας ἄνθρωπος ἐν τῷ ἀφθάρτῳ τοῦ πρᾳέος καὶ ἡσυχίου πνεύματος ὅ ἐστιν ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ πολυτελές 1 Peter 3:4
I just put that 'cause I think it looks positively beautiful in the original text don't you. Kind of like anything sounds pleasant if its said in Italian, everything looks lovely in Greek. :)
The word in Greek here for gentle is praus or praos or prays; πραΰς, meaning meek. I think any feminist tendency in us balks at the inference we must be meek. Thankful Jesus uses this word of Himself in Matthew 11:29, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."
Oh how my heart skips a beat at this verse. Jesus is calling us to learn of him and in doing so we will find rest for our souls. I am such a DIY nut. I am a perpetual nester and am forever decorating, redecorating, rearranging my home to make it more and more pleasant and restful. At the end of the day our true restfulness and our identity is in Jesus Christ. No amount of outer adornment will replace that deep and abiding relationship with Jesus Christ. I pray we can together find that sweet place where out identity is in Him and Him alone. We are precious dear ones. We are truly and splendidly precious.
Sources used for this study:
Blue Letter Bible
Bible Gateway
Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words
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