What You Wear Shows Who You Belong To

What You Wear Shows Who You Belong To

Nobody has to teach you what's in style or what's out of style, you just kinda know. You can walk into a room and immediately pick up on what fits and what doesn't. It's intuitive. It's effortless. And honestly? We're all paying attention to it, even if we don't want to admit it.

But here's the thing: spiritually, the exact same thing is true.

The actions we wear. The attitudes we wear. The character we wear in community, it all reveals what world we belong to.

In Colossians 3:12-14, Paul says it like this: "Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony."

If you follow Jesus, you belong to a new world, God's future world that has broken into the present through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. And Paul's point? Dress like it now.

Dressed for the Wrong Environment

One time I went for a walk in Colorado in the middle of winter and got way too confident. I threw on sweats and a light hoodie even though it was windy and freezing, and five minutes in I was miserable and ready to turn back. The weather wasn't the problem. My outfit was the problem.

Sometimes community isn't the issue, it's the character you're wearing into it.

So when community is hard, when it's messy, or just isn't meeting your preferences, don't leave. Learn to love.

Complain or Contribute?

When things get messy in community, we have two options: we can complain, or we can contribute.

James 5:9 warns us not to grumble about each other, and Peter tells us to "offer hospitality to one another without grumbling" and to "use whatever gift you have received to serve others" (1 Peter 4:9-10).

According to Scripture, we have to move from character to contribution. Point one is what you wear in community. Point two is what you bring into community.

God didn't save you just to belong, He saved you to build. That's what spiritual gifts are all about.

Think about a basketball team. When the game gets tough and everyone starts blaming each other, “He keeps turning it over, the coach is calling bad plays, the refs are terrible" all that complaining doesn't fix the game. It just guarantees they lose. But when a team puts their head down, plays their role, and fights for each other? That's when they actually win.

The same is true in the body of Christ. Use your gift. Play your part.

Finding Your Gift

If you're not sure what your spiritual gift is, ask yourself:

• What do people say I'm good at?

• What needs do I naturally notice and move toward?

• When I serve, what makes me feel alive instead of drained?

Here are three truths about spiritual gifts: Everyone has one. You have a valued role in God's family. They're for others, not you, gifts aren't for your platform, they're for people. And most gifts look ordinary, you might be overlooking the gift God has given you.

Jesus Stepped Into the Mess

Community only happens because someone decides the mess is worth it.

And Jesus looked at our mess and decided we were worth it. He didn't stand at a distance and critique us. He stepped into it, took on flesh, carried our sin, and served us all the way to the cross.

So when we step into the mess for each other, we're just doing what Jesus already did for us.

Let's dress like we belong to His world. Let's wear compassion, patience, kindness, humility, gentleness, forgiveness, and love. And let's stop complaining and start contributing because that's what it means to follow the One who gave everything for us.