Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

I remember vividly the day my daughter insisted she was big enough to try on clothes in the dressing room without me. The fact that I am a control-freak eliminated any possibility of buying sight-unseen, so I reluctantly agreed to her request on one condition: She must come out and model each outfit.

Having agreed upon the terms, I sat down on a nearby bench and waited.

And waited. . .

And waited some more. . .

I cleaned out my purse, filed my fingernails, chewed a piece of gum long enough to necessitate spitting it out, and conversed at length with a chatty salesclerk. My daughter had yet to model anything. So, I got up and began looking underneath the dressing room doors for her little feet. The anxiety over being labeled a “Peeping Tom” was far exceeded by my frustration.

When I finally spied her, confusion coupled with annoyance overtook me. Her little feet seemed to be dancing around in the small space. I whispered, “What on earth are you doing? You are supposed to show me your outfits!”

“I will but I still have my first one on,” she replied. “I just gotta know how it looks when I move in it!”

Oh, how my weary soul wanted to head home before my own clothes went out style. But honestly, I had to admit she was right! Moving around and living life in the outfit is different than just a quick try-on.

So, I returned to my bench and waited. . .

And waited. . .

I had plenty of time to consider how her innocent comment applied to my spiritual life. What if I treated scripture in the same way she treated her clothing? If I dressed each morning in God’s Word, how might it look and feel on me? What if I moved about life wearing love, joy, and kindness? If I wore these to work, to the grocery store, to the ballpark, and in maddening traffic jams, would the world see God’s beauty surrounding me?

This made good sense to the Apostle Paul who referred to God’s Word as clothing. In Ephesians, he wrote for us to “put on” or “wear” righteousness, peace, faith, and the Word of God. He even accessorized our wardrobes with a belt of truth and the hat of salvation! Yes, God supplies a FULL ensemble to protect us from the temptations of this world. So, friend, cover yourself in God’s Word today. Move around in it and you will quickly discover just how big scripture makes your heart look!
Father God, may we realize our beauty when our adornment is You.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane