DEC. 12, 2013
Costume
Or Uniform?
Read: Romans
13:11-14
Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to
fulfill its lusts. —Romans
13:14
Eunice
McGarrahan gave an inspiring talk on Christian discipleship in which she said,
“Acostume is something you put on and pretend that you
are what you are wearing. A uniform, on the other hand, reminds you that you are, in fact, what you
wear.”
Her
comment sparked memories of my first day in US Army basic training when we were
each given a box and ordered to put all our civilian clothes in it. The box was
mailed to our home address. Every day after that, the uniform we put on
reminded us that we had entered a period of disciplined training designed to
change our attitudes and actions.
“Cast
off the works of darkness,” the apostle Paul told the followers of Jesus living
in Rome, “and . . . put on the armor of light” (Rom. 13:12). He followed this
with the command to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for
the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (v.14). The goal of this “casting off” and
“putting on” was a new identity and transformed living (v.13).
When
we choose to follow Christ as our Lord, He begins the process of making us more
like Him each day. It is not a matter of pretending to be what we aren’t but of
becoming more and more what we are in Christ.
O to be like Thee, O to be like Thee,
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art!
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart. —Chisholm
Salvation is free, but discipleship will cost you your life.
—Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
