Your All-Purpose Garment

One of the positives that hopefully came out of the 2020 quarantine is that we finally had no excuse for not tackling those little projects around the house we’d been putting off. One of mine was my closet. To paint a good picture for you, it wasn’t a total mess. Quite the opposite really— my closet was neat and organized. The problem was that I wasn’t happy with most of my clothes. Every morning I’d go from one hangar to the next, skipping over item after item that I knew didn’t fit right until I found something to wear.

One afternoon, I told my husband, “Don’t come into our room. I’m going to be in there awhile.” And I intentionally tried on EVERY SINGLE piece of clothing I owned. I gave each item a two-step test: first, I tried it on without looking in a mirror and if I felt comfortable in it, then (and only then) I would look and see if I liked the style on me. If it passed both those tests (in that order), then I hung it back up in my closet. If not, in the give-away pile it went! By the end of my afternoon, well over sixty percent of my closet was in a pile— but I was happy! 

It felt good to go into my closet and know that every item was something I could feel comfortable and stylish in (not to mention, it felt good to make a large donation to a local thrift store).

But what about our spiritual clothing? Did you know the Bible says you have one garment that is more important than anything else you could ever put on? That single item is LOVE.

It’s true we wear many hats. But unfortunately, like my overly full and somewhat useless closet, we hold on to things way too long. We’ve grown, things don’t fit, or we’ve matured out of something that we were once comfortable wearing around.

Paul said it this way:

“Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ” (Colossians 3:9-11, Message).

God has given us a new wardrobe. And let’s be honest, who isn’t thrilled to get a new outfit? (Guys included!) There’s just something fun and comforting about a new sweatshirt, pajamas, shoes, or something a little dressier. In other words, it feels good to feel good. And God knows this. 

“So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it” (Colossians 3:12-14, Message).

February is a month when LOVE is highlighted more than any other time of the year, but God is love and unlike that favorite wool sweater or golf shirt you might only pull out in certain seasons, He wants you to wear His love all the time. “It’s your basic, all-purpose garment.”

Love always feels good when you put it on. And love is always fashionable— it will never go out of style. Of all the things you could wear around every day, make sure love is your go-to item. 

“My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality” (1 John 3:18, Message).

Copyright © 2021 Daphne Delay, used with permission.