I must confess that every Sunday, I have tried to dress up and look nice for church. Now don't misunderstand me, there is nothing wrong with looking great for church. In fact, I dress up because I can honor Him, even with the extra time that it takes to make sure that I'm well-groomed. If I can dress up to look nice at work or at an interview to show respect, then I can do the same or more for God.
So what am I confessing? Well, with each passing Sunday, my intentions of dressing up have strayed little by little, until today, as I was curling my hair, I realized that my heart's desire was not simply to please God, but to make myself feel good. I don't know if anyone else shares these sentiments, but dressing well affects my mood! For example, I know not to wear sweats and sweater to a testing site (like my SATs in high school) because I'll be worrying about it. Instead I wear a comfortable pair of jeans and a nice top... but still comfortable. Yes, so adorning a chic dress makes me feel wonderful, and by feeling wonderful, I am distracted from the true shabbiness that I feel about myself.
The point is, no matter how well I dress, no matter how pricey or priceless my outfit is, I cannot cover over my true sinful nature with pretty clothing. For God sees the condition of my heart, and I should not deceive myself with these ephemeral feel-good sentiments.
He told the church in Laodicea, you do not "realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be riche, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see" (Revelation 3:17-18). These white garments are worth a bajillion times more than the most expensive haute couture.
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