Something to Wear

It was early in our marriage. I do not remember where we were going--just that we were going out.  I, of course, was ready before Kimberly.  I was waiting in the living room.  She finally came out took one look at me and said, "Is that what you are wearing?" 

What kind of question is that?  "Is that what I am wearing?"

"No, this is just my warm up out fit. I thought I would put these clothes on to get me good and ready for what I am really going to wear!"  That's what I thought, but instead I said, "Would you like me to wear something else?"

"No, that's fine." 

Again, thinking to myself but not saying it, "What does that mean..."fine"?  I 'll tell you what fine means...when she says it fine it never means fine." 

"I'm going to change.  What would you like me to wear?"

"Whatever you want to wear is fine."

"O, my word, woman, you are killing me.  I get it. I can't dress myself.  So, tell me what you want me to wear and we'll all go on our merry way," of course, I don't say this either. I just storm to the room and pray I can figure out what she wanted me to wear. :-)

Thankfully our marriage has evolved past this kind of nonsense.  Now she will just tell me flat out if I need her to dress me and I am quite fine with it.  But for this blog, the point is we have made something to wear complicated. 

However, the Apostle Paul reminds us that baptism has given us something new to wear every day.  In baptism we are stripped of our reason to run, hide and cover up and given new clothes.  In God's walk-in closet there is only one garment.  It is the garment of love.  Not love as sentiment or empty feelings or mere words or emotional goose bumps.  The kind of love that God gives us to wear from our baptism day forward is the love described in 1 Corinthians 13 (take a look at it for yourself--it says love is a positive choice of action toward others in the name of Christ regardless of one's feelings about said person). 

This garment of love never goes out of style.  It costs nothing and costs everything at the same time.  It is a name brand that will not make anyone wealthy in money, but will certainly make the world wealthy in what matters.  However, in our baptism, this new garment of love that Jesus puts on us is too big.  It is purposely huge on us. 

Perhaps we are tempted to look up and say, "Father, I am sorry this is too big for me."   

To which the Father replies, "I know.  My love is always too big for you.  Now that you have received these new clothes of baptism you must rely on my Holy Spirit to grow you into this outfit of love day by day until you see my son face to face." 

Each day as I have been putting on the cross necklace we were given on Sunday, I have been thinking about these things. I have been reminded daily since then that my baptism was never suppose to be an event of the past to be remembered, but to be an apparel of love I put on every day for Christ' sake.  Paul said it best in Colossians 3:17, "Let every detail in your lives--words, actions, whatever--be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way." 

So, let me ask you.  Is that what you are going to wear? 

If you are wearing God's love, then you can answer enthusiastically and without apology, "Yes, this is the only outfit God cares for me to wear.  And in consideration of his love for us, there is no better way for me to show Him my love for him than to wear his love for the whole world to see."