Back to School

Pause

For lots of students, going back to school means trying on new or hand-me-down clothes, finding shoes that fit growing feet, or getting that required uniform for the dance or sports team.

In addition to the outfit you put on this morning, consider what it might look like to “put on” something else today — to clothe yourself with Christ.

Listen

But now set aside these things, such as anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene language. Don’t lie to each other. Take off the old human nature with its practices and put on the new nature, which is renewed in knowledge by conforming to the image of the one who created it. In this image there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all things and in all people.

Colossians 3:8-11

Think

Before I ever did any back-to-school searching for clothes, I had to first take the time to clean out my closet. There I usually found some items that didn’t fit my body anymore and other pieces of clothing that just didn’t fit my style anymore. Do you have some old clothes in your closet that cramp your style or don’t make you feel like you when you wear them?

In this letter, Paul uses the image of taking off old clothing and putting on another garment to describe what it’s like to authentically live out our identity as Christians.

He’s pretty straightforward: Christ followers need to clean out the closet and set aside some old garments — rage, dishonesty, speaking poorly of others. Paul says: “These old rags don’t fit anymore! They’re not authentic to who you really are. Get rid of ’em!”

Getting rid of the old frees us up to put on something else. It’s a new nature in Christ that lets the real, authentic you shine through — a person created in the image of God!

Meredith Forssman

Pray

God, I’ve been holding on to some old things in my closet that don’t really spark joy in my life and certainly aren’t fitting to your image. I want to loosen my grip on the old and be open to receiving the amazing new life that you have waiting for me. I know it’s going to be a change, but I trust that these new Christ-clothes are going to be a great fit. Amen.

Go

You are always in God’s sight pleasing,
always in God’s sight lovely,
always in God’s sight as though you were perfect.

For you are complete in Christ Jesus, and perfect in Christ Jesus.

You stand fully clothed in Christ.

Always.

Based on words by the great 19th-century preacher, Charles Spurgeon