I Was Naked Series

So Paul says to put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. Armor is a covering that helps you, and you need to be covered.

To serve

Some clothing is designed for service. Aprons are all about service.

Have you ever noticed the very nifty CCC aprons our people wear when we have dinners? Those aren’t just for looks, although they look nice too! Aprons help you serve without worrying about getting grease or flour on your clothes. You too can wear a CCC apron! Just jump in to help the next time there’s a big food event!

When Jesus prepared to serve the disciples by washing their feet at the Last Supper, we read in John 13 that He took off His outer clothing and wrapped a towel around His waist…to serve.

To repent

We’ve lost this in our culture, but it shows up a lot in Scripture: If you want to show that you’re serious about repentance, do it with clothing. You can put on sackcloth and cover yourself with ashes. Or, you can just reach up and tear your clothes. Those are both ways to show you’re upset, with yourself, or someone else. For some reason, that has gone out of fashion with us. Maybe too many of us would be running around with torn-up clothing!

To show respect/love – (funeral, wedding, date)

When Esther went to appear before the King uninvited, it was a life or death situation. If he didn’t extend the scepter to her, the law was that she was to be executed. So, as part of getting ready, she put on her royal robes. Maybe it helped, because the king welcomed her.

We understand, don’t we, that there are occasions where the right thing to wear is our best? It’s one way we say that the situation deserves respect and honor. That’s why we dress up for weddings and funerals and other special occasions. If you ever look at someone coming in to worship on Sunday morning, all dressed up, that just may be the reason – they want to show respect to the occasion of us gathering to worship God together.

Go ahead, turn to the person next to you and say, “Oh, you look really nice today!”

So, here’s the point: clothes can be an opportunity to help us. They’re supposed to serve, not have us become their servant.

You see, there is also in clothing…

A potential problem

We need to consider if we have allowed clothing to do damage. Clothing, damage? Yes! Not just what some ladies do to their feet with ridiculous heels.

Like so many things, clothing has the potential to do good and also to do harm. For instance,

When it’s a substitute for character

From the very earliest age, Carrie and I drilled into our daughter that her outward appearance was important, but that her inner person was much more important. “Jenni, what’s more important than looking pretty?” Acting pretty.

Clothes don’t make the man. Clothes cover the man. And if the man or woman underneath the clothes is lacking character, no amount of clothing will make up for that.