I looked down to the filthy mass in my hands.  Trying to maintain composure I asked, “You used the nice guest towels for what?!”  My husband explained that he made a mess in the garage and needed to clean it up fast.  The guest towels were the first option available.

This happened within the first year of our marriage.  It may have been our first fight as a married couple.  Since then, the “work” towels are kept in the laundry room near the garage and I’m not sure he even knows where the guest towels are.  This incident came rushing into my mind a few weeks ago when one of the boys spilled something at the table and onto the floor.  Kevin was already up and near the towel drawer, so I asked him to throw me a kitchen towel quick.  He threw me a towel, but it was a nice brand new one that I had just received as a gift.  “Not that one!” I exclaimed and rushed to the drawer to get one myself.

Each of us have certain things that we use for certain purposes.  It’s like getting dressed.  If you want to lounge around, you’ll wear comfy stretchy clothes; work in the dirt – grungy clothes, big business meeting – power suit; hot date – something attractive.  There’s a purpose to each outfit.  Each outfit changes the way you view yourself, making you believe and act like what you’re wearing.  Say for example, you dress up for a date.  You see how nice you look and it gradually changes what you think about yourself.  You believe you are attractive.  You may walk with more confidence or sit up straighter.

The idea contained in the last few sentences was the answer I received after months of asking God about the meaning of Galatians 3:27, which says:

…for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

It seemed so crazy to me.  How do you clothe yourself with a person?  What am I supposed to do with that?  It’s so abstract.  I wrestled with God over it for weeks.  He gradually revealed this layer of meaning to me.  I believe there are more layers and you may have experienced another.  God’s Word is deep and alive.  Let’s zoom in on this layer for now.

God sees us and wants us to see ourselves through the person of Christ.  Picture yourself looking into the mirror with Christ standing in front of you.  Somehow you can see through Him to the mirror.  What do you see?  Christ.  Christ is perfection, wholeness, completeness.  Say you have the perfect garment for you.  You put it on.  It’s the perfect color and fit.  You look amazing.  There’s no doubt about it.  Now you believe that you look amazing.  It changes your confidence, how you carry yourself, and how you act.

Christ is that perfect garment.  Christ is kind, loving, patient, and all those things we know we aren’t.  We aren’t perfect.  We fall short.  Speaking of short, I am short (in stature).  But, I can wear some shoes that have heels and be taller.  The shoes aren’t me.  I put them on and they become part of my person.

We don’t have abilities.  But, if we ask Christ for His, He gives them to us.  We can put them on.  I am not naturally patient.  I can act like I’m patient and fool everyone, but I’m not patient.  If I ask Christ to give me the gift of His patience, I can experience being patient.  I can’t do it myself.  It’s not about doing, it’s about being.  It has to be a gift from Him.  The same is true of love or peace or forgiveness or any characteristic of God.  Ask Him for it.  Put it on.  Believe who you are in Christ.

Did you know that God loves you as much as He loves Jesus Christ?  It’s true.

John 17:23b (NLT)  May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.

Now believe it.  It’ll change you.

This week I challenge you to see yourself through Christ.  You are no longer the old you.  You are a new creation, and it’s beautiful.

Here are a few verses to contemplate this week.  They aren’t long, but they pack a lot to think about.  Read one each day and think about what it says about the old and new and what will happen when we clothe ourselves with Christ. (click on links to verses)

– Ephesians 4:22-24
– Colossians 3:9-12
– 2 Corinthians 5:17
– Galatians 3:26-28
– Romans 13:14
-> (click this link to see all passages on one page)

If you are reading this, take a few seconds and leave a reply.  It’s lonely out here in cyberspace.  Leave a thought, experience, something about the verses, or really… which towel would you use to clean up the floor?  Seriously. (I’m rolling my eyes right now.)  I’m sure my husband would love to get some back up.