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Tuesday, April 17, 2007

The Dressing Room


I once attended an afternoon spring wedding at a Yacht club in the Marina wearing a new tea length soft green dress with subtle lavender flowers in the pattern. As I stood at the door waiting to be greeted by the ushers, I noticed the woman in front of me with a black knee length dress with thin spaghetti straps. I casually turned around and noticed another woman walking up behind me wearing a long black sleeveless dress with a beautiful silver shawl wrapped around her shoulders. I quickly fumbled through my purse to see if I had missed something on the invitation about a specific dress code. I hadn’t, but I still felt completely out of place in that moment. On another occasion I arrived at a minister’s conference in my black blazer and dress pants with a pink blouse and my favorite pearls, only to discover all the other wives seemed to be wearing their best sweat outfits or casual wear. Again, I wondered did I miss something. I have had many occasions in which I did not receive the dress code memo. After many years of fumbling through this and too often wishing I had access to a dressing room in which I could slip behind a curtain and change clothes, I have learned to wear what seems to be the most appropriate and what seems practical for the occasion and if I didn’t get the memo, oh well.

In many social settings the message is very clear. To be accepted, you must be clothed according to the “standard”...whatever that is. God also has a standard. But thankfully His is one in which when you come out of the dressing room it’s perfect every time. He makes it possible for you to be acceptable to Him at all times and on every occasion. According to Job 29:14, He gives us “righteousness as [your] clothing”. The word righteous means acquitted, vindicated or free from sin and guilt. Your faith in Christ enables God to regard you as righteous. He doesn’t see your sin any longer, but he sees you as clothed with the righteousness of Christ. If you have struggled with feeling unworthy to be called “the righteousness of God”, 2 Corinthians 5:21 reminds us, For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
This “clothing” we are given is like a uniform. Whenever a police officer, fireman, or anyone else in a uniform walks into the room we take notice. The uniform regardless of its purpose has undeniable authority. At the moment of conversion you were issued a righteous uniform. The Lord not only covered your past but also gave you authority over your future. Ephesians 6:14 reminds us, … and having put on the breastplate of righteousness. He has done all the work; we just have to get dressed according to His Standard. As a child of God, you have the righteousness of God. You have the power that backs the badge.

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14 Comments:

Blogger Lisa @ The Preacher's Wife said...

"The uniform regardless of its purpose has undeniable authority. At the moment of conversion you were issued a righteous uniform. The Lord not only covered your past but also gave you authority over your future."

LOVE this...Excellent post..You are a great visual writer!

April 17, 2007 at 12:05 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank you Lord that you make us acceptable

April 17, 2007 at 12:43 AM  
Blogger Denise said...

This was a wonderful post, thank you.

April 17, 2007 at 12:59 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have learned to wear what seems to be the most appropriate and what seems practical for the occasion and if I didn’t get the memo, oh well.

I have a middle schooler.... It is challenging to help her learn to not worry about the unwritten dress code but rest in who she is in Jesus. We are working on it.

Our undeniable authority in our uniform. Neat!

April 17, 2007 at 8:51 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This was wonderful! I had to laugh to start since I already sent a "what should I wear" email this very week already!!! My struggle comes when I forget that it is God I am living to please and He is GRACIOUS.

April 17, 2007 at 9:16 AM  
Blogger Lori said...

This is beautiful "we just have to get dressed according to His Standard." Amen...

I think every woman has wondered if she missed the memo, but praise God he lays it out clearly for us.

Blessings.

April 17, 2007 at 11:16 AM  
Blogger Susanne said...

I love that: "issued a righteous uniform" How great its that! And our dress code is all written out in His word in case we ever forget!

This was a great post, Chris!

April 17, 2007 at 1:37 PM  
Blogger Linda said...

Beautifully said Chris. I am awed by the fact that I am actually clothed in the righteousness of Jesus. My own righteousness is as "filty rags", but His is perfect. That's how the Father sees me - miraculous.
Thank you for putting it so beautifully.

April 17, 2007 at 3:55 PM  
Blogger Rachel Anne said...

perfectly said.

April 17, 2007 at 8:34 PM  
Blogger Cyndi said...

I was just talking to my kids about this today. Wow! How wonderful (and unthinkable!) that when He sees me, He sees me as clothed in righteousness. The wonderful thing is, the enemy sees it too. (I guess that's why he spends so much time trying to convince me otherwise!) Just like the ever-elusive, unspoken "dress code," at certain events, this world keeps changing the standard. Praise God, He set the true standard and dresses us for it, too. Great post today, Chris! Really made me think!

April 17, 2007 at 8:56 PM  
Blogger Heth said...

What a wonderful pitcure Chris. I could really relate to the description of fumbling for the ivitation in your purse. The spiritaul parallel there is powerful.

April 17, 2007 at 9:02 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Chris
Those uncomfortable moments of not feeling accepted that you described - flash back! Thank you for you clear reminder of His love and acceptance. What a joy of knowing our clothing of righteousness is more than enough.
Bless you!
Kim

April 17, 2007 at 11:49 PM  
Blogger Darlene Schacht said...

I love that thought "authority over the future" makes me want to check my outfit before stepping out. :)

April 18, 2007 at 10:12 AM  
Blogger eph2810 said...

I am glad that He has clothed us in His righteous and I can lay down my own ragged clothing in exchange for it.
Thank you for sharing, Chris.

Blessings to you and yours.

April 20, 2007 at 12:57 AM  

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