“…for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”  Galatians 3:26-27

How someone dresses says a lot about them. Rebellious teens dress in a manner designed to irritate their parents.  Creative types veer toward more avant garde clothing.  Over-achievers try to dress like their bosses.  How we dress is an expression of our personalities.

So then what does it mean to be “clothed” in Christ? It means that our outer appearance – the way we act, dress and speak – is a reflection of our inner faith.  When we are clothed in Christ, the people we interact with should have an inkling of our religious faith.  They don’t discover our faith because we give them religious pamphlets or wear cross necklaces.  They discover our faith by observing how we operate.

For example, if you believe that God has forgiven your sins, the way you treat other people is going be different. You aren’t going to judge others.  You instead will be cognizant of your own sins for which you need to repent.  Similarly, if you see someone doing something wrong, you aren’t going to jump up and tell them that they are a bad person.  Instead, you will gently try to steer them in the right direction.  Or you simply will present a good example and hope that they will follow it.

If you believe that everything we are given, including our bodies, is to be used for the glory of God, that will dictate how you care for your body. You will treat your body as a gift and won’t abuse it by overeating, or by abusing alcohol or drugs.  You will wear clothing that sends a message that your body is not there for others to abuse sexually.  Rather you will dress in a manner that conveys that your body is to be treated with respect and gentility.

If you believe that you are God’s representative on earth, then you will be very careful with how you speak to others. You’ll ensure that your words are only ones of encouragement and not criticism.  You won’t get angry when others disagree with you.  Instead, you’ll have the maturity to know that it is more important to be kind than to be right.  And you won’t boast of your own skills, but instead you’ll have the humility to know that you are nothing without God.

Clothing ourselves in Christ is more important than we realize. When people know that you have a religious faith, they are watching you.  They are interested in whether you are going to “walk the talk.”  And if you don’t, if you are cruel or insensitive, that denigrates Christianity.  It makes Christians look like a bunch of hypocrites.  I’ll admit that at times we all are hypocrites. No one clothes themselves in Christ perfectly.  However, our goal is to walk the talk, most of the time.

This week, consider whether you are clothing yourself in Christ. Take stock of how you are treating others.  Think about how you carry yourself in public and at home.  Do your actions, demeanor and appearance convey Christian love and respect?  If not, it may be time to change your outfit.