“Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.” (Romans 13:14 NLT)

 

I like comfortable clothes. Most of the time you’ll find me wearing jeans because they’re comfortable. I don’t like starched shirts. When I send my shirts to the cleaners, I specify “no starch.” Unfortunately, for one of the cleaners we previously used, “no starch” meant “extra starch.” I would put on these shirts and could barely move in them because they were so stiff. That’s not the kind of clothing I want. I want clothes that move where I move.

That concept applies to the words of the apostle Paul in Romans 13:14, “Clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ” (NLT). The phrase means to prioritize His views and His interests and to imitate Him in all things. But Paul makes it seem as natural as putting on a shirt. Just as your clothing goes with you wherever you go, so should Christ. Let Him be a part of every aspect of your life, from the time you wake up in the morning until the time you go to sleep at night.

In time, people may start to recognize you for clothing yourself in Christ—that is, living in a way that brings honor and glory to Him—just as they might recognize you for wearing a favorite shirt all the time. When they see that your faith is genuine, that you “walk the walk,” they’ll likely be more receptive when you “talk the talk.”

That’s not to say that clothing yourself with Jesus is easy. Nothing worthwhile ever is. The appeal of clothing yourself with yourself instead is strong. The temptation to prioritize your own interests is hard to resist.

But when we give in to that temptation, we put ourselves on a collision course with God, fighting and resisting Him when we should be obeying Him. Instead of going where He wants us to go and doing what He wants us to do, we start pulling against Him at every turn. We become spiritual prodigals, intent on going our own way. We convince ourselves that no one knows what will bring us joy, happiness, fulfillment, and adventure in life better than we do.

But that type of thinking is the result of misunderstanding God. We must never lose sight of the fact that He is our Creator. He designed us. He wired us. He knows what will give us a genuine sense of fulfillment, joy, and satisfaction. He knows what will challenge and stretch us, what will make us stronger and wiser. He gave us our spiritual gifts, so He knows how we can maximize their effectiveness. He knows the impact we can have on the people who cross our path.

God knows everything about us and wants only the best for us. Why wouldn’t we make Him part of every aspect of our lives?

 

Reflection question: What would clothing yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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