Are you wearing Christ today? Did you reach into your Wearing-Christ-Closet and choose which one of Christ’s attributes you would need to wear today as carefully as you chose the shoes you have on?
The Holy Bible says in Romans 13:14 to “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ…” the New International Version of this same verse says to“clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ…” and The Message version says to “dress yourselves in Christ.”
Put on…
Clothe…
Wear…
Just like I choose what clothes I am going to wear, I must choose which of Christ’s attributes I need to wear to prepare me for the day ahead.
For example, I chose to wear a jean skirt and a long sleeve dark gray shirt today. Tomorrow, I will choose to wear a black dress with a jacket because I have a funeral to attend. And on a very rare occasion, I will choose to wear the bathing suit that is hanging the in the back of my closet.
Some of my choosing is based on what I will be doing. Attending a business meeting versus hanging out at the park; or going swimming versus riding my bike. And some of my choosing is based on comfort. (I tend to choose to wear my most comfortable jean skirt on days that I will be at home.)
Choosing items out of my Wearing-Christ-Closet is very similar.
Comfort Items in the Wearing-Christ-Closet
Some of Christ’s attributes are comfortable foundational pieces that are essential to the Christian walk. Just like a woman’s undergarments are an essential part of her wardrobe, and make her feel more comfortable, so it is with the core attributes of Christ. Any serious fashion person will tell you that a solid bra and girdle make the outfit. Likewise, love and joy make the Christian.
Love and joy are two foundational Wearing-Christ-Closet pieces. Everything runs much smoother when Christ’s love and joy is evident. No matter the occasion, these attributes of Christ’s nature make the Christian’s life much more comfortable.
The Occasion Based Wearing-Christ-Closet
But maybe there are other pieces of our Wearing-Christ-Closet that we only put on when needed.
For example, I don’t always need to wear longsuffering, but I certainly want to have added longsuffering to my Wearing-Christ-Closet so it’s ready for me when I need it. Think of what it would be like if we could reach into our Wearing-Christ-Closet and put on the scarf of patience when heading into a difficult meeting. Or if we could wrap up in a warm coat of God’s gentleness, before facing a chilly reception from someone.
But in order to have these occasionally needed items in our Wearing-Christ-Closet, we need to have purchased them ahead of time through process, prayer, and perspicacity.
Process
Some items in your Wearing-Christ-Closet can only be obtained by going through a process. By enduring the trial, or experiencing rejection. Then and only then can you add the garments of endurance, patience, or longsuffering for example.
Prayer
Maintaining a consistent prayer life is the only way that you can clearly see what garments to add to your Wearing-Christ-Closet. Without prayer, your perceptions and understandings are skewed. You cannot have the mind of Christ to properly equip yourself without daily spending time in Christ’s presence.
Perspicacity
Discernment is key. The Holy Bible instructs believers to try the spirits to determine whether they be of God or not. (1 John 4:1-5) When we are about to enter into our day and engage with others, it behooves us to prayerfully consider which fruits of the spirit we will need to draw on.
Naturally, if we are living a consistent life in Christ, the Holy Spirit will give us the appointed word of wisdom when we need it:
“When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” (Luke 12:11-12)
…but prayerfully covering our encounters with others will afford us the opportunity to know how to pray and prepare. There have been many times when I knew I was going to have a meeting with someone that I have prayed for wisdom, or for my words to be seasoned with kindness, or whatever I perceived was needed.
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally,…” (James 1:5)
Developing Your Wearing-Christ-Closet
To wear Christ is to make a conscious decision to represent Him well. To act like He would act. To respond to situations as He would. To seek to strengthen yourself through prayer, by becoming more Christ-like through the character developing processes God allows, and by discerning which of Christ’s attributes you need to put on to handle a given situation.
Of course we know that Galatians 5:22-23 tells us what a fully stocked Wearing-Christ-Closet should look like:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance:” (KJV)
So daily we should remind ourselves that:
Our Wearing-Christ-Closet should have many foundational items of love.
Our Wearing-Christ-Closet should have the vibrant and varied scarves of joy.
Our Wearing-Christ-Closet should have the soft garments of peace.
Our Wearing-Christ-Closet should have the subdued colors of longsuffering.
And our Wearing-Christ-Closet should have many free moving garments of gentleness, faith, meekness, and temperance.
Things That Should Never Be In Our Wearing-Christ-Closet
To not wear Christ is also a conscious choice. It is to abandon self-control and allow the works of flesh to manifest itself.
The Holy Bible says that the works of the flesh are:
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21)
My friend, Sharla Fritz, has covered this topic well in her What Not To Wear blog posts and in her Divine Design book. You should check it out.
Let’s Pray
Precious Lord Jesus, please help us to stock our Wearing-Christ-Closet with things that please you. When we think about what to wear in the natural, please nudge us to also think about what to put on in the spiritual. You tell us in the Holy Bible to put on Christ, and to put on the whole armor of God(Ephesians 6:1-18). Please help us to always be aware of this. Empower us to be like you. To represent you everywhere we go. Teach us to dress in a way that others know that we have consciously put on the fruits of the spirit. In Jesus name, Amen.
This is wonderful! I often pray for God to clothe me and His church in the full armor of God, His robes of righteousness, and His blood, but I’d never thought of equating the fruits of the Spirit to items of spiritual clothing to put on. Thank you for this insight!
Thank-you Allison for sharing. So often, I pray for my writing to bless others, but I am often not sure of the impact my words are having. When you leave a comment, it thrills me because it’s like getting an “Amen” from someone! Blessings!