Friday, March 21, 2014

God's Spring Fashions-Show Stopping!



I've never been one to be fashionable.  Unlike my fashionable friends Tim and Tom, I'm usually a bit behind the fashions or ahead of the fashions as they come back around.  My wife at times reminds me of my corduroy mistake in the 80's.  Fashion is in the eye of the beholder.  And God's eyes see differently than man's eyes.  Now if we want to be fashionable in the eyes of our admiring crowd of friends, pick up a GQ or the latest fashion mag.  But if we want to be fashionable in God's eyes, our Creator, the Design Master Himself, we pick up 1 Peter 5:5 where the true Fashion Guru prescribes our Spring fashion...

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility...

Warning!  This Spring fashion is a bit tight fitting over our button-busting pride.  You won't find these fashions on the runways, but in the slumways.  The buzz will be about the absence of glitter and glam.  And this year chic will turn the other cheek.  God wants us to be show stopping...or stop showing (off) may be the better way to put it.
Our ensemble includes two parts.  Peter describes the first piece of clothing...

Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another.  

This is a rare find even in the Christian retail stores and churches of today.  We Christians take pride in our spirituality, maturity, wisdom, superior political position, moral tradition, or of all things humility.  

So how do we become fashion savvy?  The best way to fit into the Spring fashion of humility is by serving others.  In Philippians 3, Paul reminds us of our Super Model, Christ, who you may remember wore the servants towel as his banquet attire and dressed down to look like us as He lived among us. 

Rarely are those dressed in humility toward others critical of other's attire.  When we find ourselves becoming critical and judging others, we can be assured our Pharisaical fashion is out of fashion with God.  In my years serving Christ's Bride, the Church, I've discovered many of the greatest spiritual fashion critics rarely take time to ask how they can serve.  Check your fashion sense here...what is your attitude toward those around you today?

I find the second piece of the Peter's ensemble found in verse 6 to be only slightly easier to put on.  

 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand...

When I recognize the greatness of my Creator and Sovereign Designer, I find it easier to bow down in humility.   Yet this it is not automatic.  The Israelites of the Old Testament saw God's Mighty Hand first hand, but instead of humbling themselves, they became more demanding.  Expressing my thanksgiving toward my Sovereign Designer and his mighty hand in my life is a practical way I humble myself.  

It's always better to humble ourselves than for God to have to humble us.  And we have plenty of help in keeping us humble.  Living in a sin-stained world where we experience pain-physical and emotional is humbling.  Living with sin-stained people who hurt us, use us, and abuse us is also humbling.  But on a positive note, where are some areas where you have seen God's mighty hand in your life? Humbling, isn't it. 

So we find the two piece ensemble of humility with people and humility with God in vogue on Heaven's golden runway.

Lest you think Peter is the only fashion critic encouraging the attire of humility this Spring, the apostle Paul praises the same ensemble for our wardrobe. 

Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Our greatest fashion critic, Christ himself, praised the attire of humility when he set the world a buzz with a radical fashion statement... 

Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

So what are you wearing this Spring?  As you look back over the past week, what did you put on?  Were you in fashion or out according to our Designer?  Better yet, what will you wear this coming week?  Whether the weather says Winter or Spring, the same outfit works according to God-humility is beautiful!