Friday, August 31, 2012

Do you like T-shirts?

How do you feel about wearing T-shirts?

My Mother used to make my clothes when I was a little girl and she often made them very frilly and colorful.  Ruffles, lace and ribbons...whatever was pretty, that was me!  For the most part, I rarely wore pants or jeans so I learned to do many things in a dress and got quite comfortable that way.  Dressing up was a favorite pastime.  It never included T-shirts.  (Even my black leather biker jacket has leather black tassels.)

Many artists sell T-shirts at their product table to help with income, but I don't and a big part of it is because I just don't like T-shirts so it's hard to sell something you yourself are not fond of!  I'm just not a T-shirt kind of girl.  

But recently, when I was handed a complimentary T-shirt from the organization for which I was leading worship, I smiled to myself and took it gladly.  

I've been wearing it.

Wearing T-shirts

I am learning to put on something that doesn't exactly feel like me, but the more I wear them, the more I get used to them and feel comfortable.  I even feel more like a part of the culture of the organization when I do that. It's not the first time I've been given a free T-shirt so I've had plenty of practice getting used to wearing them.

We are encouraged by the scripture to 'put on' the Lord Jesus Christ.  At first, this might feel unfamiliar to us and even uncomfortable at times.  We are being asked to enter into another culture called the Kingdom.  The 'clothes' that we wear in the Kingdom are very different from this world system that we live in.  We were born with a sinful nature, so it doesn't always feel natural to act like Jesus.  But when we embrace Him in our lives and believe Him, we are given a new nature.  The more we 'put on' His love and His nature, the more we will truly begin to look like Him and all that He represents.

Colossians speaks of this:  

3:12-14 - "Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.  And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love.  Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony."  (NLT)

Sounds like a wonderful wardrobe!  Just as I've chosen to start wearing T-shirts to honor the organizations who give them to me, I want to choose to wear the attitudes of Christ - to let my roots grow down into Him so that His fruit is displayed in the 'clothes' I wear.  We can change.  We can wear a new wardrobe and begin to feel comfortable in it.

Maybe you'll never think the same way again when you wear your T-shirts.  

You might even see some for sale on my table with my CDs...someday.