New Spiritual Wardrobe

Deciding what clothes to wear can be quick and easy for some people, and for others it resembles an arduous chore.  I suspect if we are looking for comfy clothes to wear around the house or clothes for work it is easier than finding suitable clothes for a fancy formal or party.  Such occasions can overwhelm us and suddenly we exclaim, "I have nothing to wear!" though our closet and chests of drawers are full of clothes, shoes and accessories.  We feel a twinge of horror to go to a luxurious event with a dress code without wearing something new.  Praise the LORD God provides His own righteousness to clothe us when we enter into His presence for eternity, for our best works are filthy rags by comparison.

David sang in Psalm 30:11-12, "You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, ¹² to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever."  What an exchange God offered David, for his mourning was turned into dancing in the presence of the LORD.  David credited God for putting off his sackcloth and clothing him with gladness.  I suspect David did not rejoice in painful and sorrowful circumstances of his past, but by faith in God and His goodness he was enabled to rejoice in God presently moving forward.  Wearing sackcloth was a strong statement of grief and mourning, rough clothes worn to proclaim great depth of sorrow.  God was not cruel or unkind to remove David's sackcloth, for the LORD would not leave him naked and exposed:  God clothed David with gladness.

God gave David a choice and capacity he did not possess on his own in the midst of sorrow and mourning, for the LORD divinely, miraculously provided David a change of clothing.  Putting on clothes is merely an external exercise that cannot change the person, yet laying aside sackcloth and donning gladness was a result of an inner work by faith in God.  This prompts questions we ought to consider personally:  should we continue to mourn our past or what is lost when we can praise God for His presence today?  Should we perpetually mourn for ourselves over what we cannot change when God draws near to change us and make us more like Him?  Do we believe God is able to turn our loses and griefs into net gains we would not trade for the world through His love, grace and mercy?  David could have clung to his sackcloth, yet he welcomed the joyous change God ushered into His life.

Did you see God's purpose in turning David's mourning into dancing, putting off sackcloth and clothing him with gladness?  It was to the end that David's glory would sing praise to God and give thanks to the LORD forever.  The Messiah was anointed for this purpose in Isaiah 61:3:  "To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."  Hebrews 1:9 says Jesus was anointed with the oil of gladness more than His fellows, and being born again by faith in Jesus means we are of God and have more than consolation--also oil of joy in exchange for mourning and the clothing of praise for the spirit of heaviness--so He might be glorified.  This is the new spiritual wardrobe God has provided us as His children, and it is our choice if we will gladly wear it.

God's Unexpected Ways

During a morning walk before dawn I prayed the LORD would speak to me, and He did in a most unexpected way.  Not long after I saw a woman jogging towards me, so I moved to the edge of the footpath to make as much room as possible.  What happened next was in slow motion:  my toe clipped the edge of the slab of concrete (which had heaved from a mature tree) and after a couple of stumbling steps I sprawled onto the footpath in a heap.  I can't remember the last time diving onto concrete, but it was a good reminder to keep stumbles and falls to a minimum.

The jogger stopped and asked if I was ok, and I said I was fine as I popped up on my feet, relieved no bones were broken.  Apart from grazes on my hand and leg, I jogged away relatively unscathed.  What struck me is that even though I was able to stand up unassisted, it was kind of the woman to pause and ask if I was ok after seeing me fall.  I imagine me falling looked hilarious, but her instinctive inquiry about my wellbeing was a gesture I appreciated.  Then I considered how automatic my response was, that if it was at all possible to stand up without assistance, that was my preference.  My instinct would be to stand on a broken foot or leg if it was at all possible and "walk it off," not even calling for a ride.

What happened on the footpath today was insightful concerning when someone falls spiritually into sin or stumbles into depression.  As an observer we may not want to ask if others are ok lest we embarrass them or draw unwanted attention to the fact we noticed.  The one who falls may be incapable of rising and still wave the observer on, not willing for others to slow down or stop on their account.  The good Samaritan in the parable drew near to the man who was beaten and left for dead, and given the background between Jews and Samaritans perhaps the wounded man only received help because he was physically unable to refuse it.  Speaking for myself, I have room to grow both in expressing care for those who are down and also willingness to receive help after I have fallen down.

Another thought that came from today's incident was how God can use our embarrassing and painful experiences to teach us and others.  There are always good lessons to be learned from our fails, and the fact I am around to speak about it tells me it could have been much worse.  I can praise God for guarding my bones, and the fall prompts me to be seeking God earnestly who can keep me from stumbling--physically and spiritually.  What we learn from a fall can be more valuable for our character and spiritual growth than walking without ever stumbling.  See how God can redeem a painful, awkward situation for good?

Heart Like Sand

One detractor of going to the beach is no matter what we do, we seem to bring much of the beach back home with us!  Even after a thorough rinse and shaking off sand, grains of sand ultimately will show up in the car, between toes, in wetsuits and on the tiles at home.  The fine and clinging nature of sand enables it to stick to skin and embed in fabrics, and thus it is difficult to shake off.  Some don't mind this at all, as it is a small trade-off for the sun, waves and fun of the beach.

As I considered the properties of sand at the beach, I remembered what God did for Solomon at his request in 1 Kings 4:29:  "And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore."  God gave Solomon divine wisdom, vast understanding and "largeness of heart" compared to sand on the seashore.  Solomon was given wisdom that was carried away by all who came in contact with him, as the Queen of Sheba from a distant land heard of the wisdom of Solomon.  She was so intrigued by the report she travelled a long way to visit Solomon in person.

The heart today is often connected with love, affection and care.  Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing for the hearts of Christians to be massive like sand on the seashore, that whenever people came in contact with us they couldn't help but have the wisdom and love of Jesus stick to them?  Sand is gritty and abrasive, and wisdom can have this impact on the minds of others--like a rock in the shoe that gets the attention of the conscience.  To have a heart filled with love that generously offers it to everyone is even more pleasant  and impactful than the greatest beach holiday.  People may not agree with our convictions, outlook or beliefs, but may God's love through us be embedded in every conversation and interaction.

The beach has an endless supply of sand, and by God's grace Christians have an endless supply of love and grace.  As the beach is generous with sand to all who visit, so we ought to be with God's love towards strangers, friends and family.  It is a blessed thing to realise we truly love people who came to church for a season or even for one service, to genuinely care about a stranger on a bus or someone we conversed with on a pier.  No Christian is the source of this great love, as if we are naturally kind and gracious people:  it is not of us, for it is Christ in us.  May the LORD grant us wisdom and largeness of heart like sand on the beach so all will know Christ's glorious fame.

Growth in Grace

After being born again by faith in Jesus, Paul desired to know Jesus, the power of Christ's resurrection, and the fellowship of Christ's sufferings by being conformed to His death.  This was God's will for Paul and all believers, and Paul also acknowledged this sanctifying pursuit remained a work in progress in his life as he wrote in Philippians 3:12:  "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me."  As Paul pursued Christ by faith and obedience, the finish line remained ahead of him.  Paul did not speak as someone who had crossed the line and now had advice for fellow disciples:  he continued to press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus by grace.

As a Pharisee, Paul had arrived:  he had achieved in obtaining a rare position of honour and influence among the most respected elders in Jewish society.  Legalism can offer this superficial status, yet a relationship with God leads us by His grace.  Grace is what makes Christianity distinct from religions and authoritarian cultures in the world.  I like Philip Yancy's comments concerning Leo Tolstoy in his book What's So Amazing About Grace?:

"Tolstoy drew a contrast between Jesus' approach and that of all other religions:

The test of observance of external religious teachings is whether or not our conduct conforms with their decrees [Observe the Sabbath.  Get circumcised.  Tithe.]  Such conformity is indeed possible.

 The test of observance of Christ's teachings is our consciousness of our failure to attain an ideal perfection.  The degree to which we draw near this perfection cannot be seen; all we can see is the extent of our deviation.

A man who professes an external law is like someone standing in the light of a lantern fixed to a post.  It is light all round him, but there is nowhere further for him to walk.  A man who professes the teaching of Christ is like a man carrying a lantern before him on a long, or not so long, pole:  the light is in front of him, always lighting up fresh ground and always encouraging him to walk further.

In other words, the proof of spiritual maturity is not how "pure" you are but awareness of your impurity.  That very awareness opens the door to grace." (Yancey, Philip. What’s so Amazing about Grace? Zondervan, 1997. pages 197-198)

The Light of the World Jesus Christ, coupled with the illumination of the Holy Spirit and God's word, continually guides us in our pursuit of Jesus in a relationship governed by His love and grace.  Because Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life we receive definite guidance for our lives and personal convictions we should hold to--without setting up an arbitrary standard before which others must submit to be acceptable.  Legalism leads to bondage, self-righteousness and condemnation of others, while Jesus provides a whole new way of living that makes us free indeed.  It is a harder way (because it requires faith in God), but an infinitely better and fulfilling way where genuine spiritual growth is possible by God's grace we all desperately need.