Good Morning Friends! Thankfully His, Tuesday!! I have had so much fun the last few days going through 2 big bags of awesome hand-me-downs!!!! I am so blessed to have a special friend that shares with me and there’s always plenty for me to share too! Well anyway, back to the point….what fun going through all the clothes, trying them on, figuring out what I have to go with them, picking the right accessories, checking out the final product in the mirror and heading out proudly to show them off….Ugh…did I just say, “show them off?” Well, you know the feeling don’t you…looking in the mirror with your new duds on and thinking….Hmmm, don’t look half bad. Well wouldn’t you know as I sat down to spend some time with our Father in word and prayer, He directed me to 1 Peter 3:3-5, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. (ouch).” Gosh that kind of hit me where it hurts as I thought of the outfit I had laid out to wear to work…all excited about sporting my new duds…..Of course, God wants us to look nice…He always wants us to do our very best at everything….but He really doesn’t care what we look like on the outside….1 Peter continues, “Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. “ Now, of course God loves the giving/gift of hand-me-downs….the giver is blessed by our Heavenly Father for her sharing spirit and the receiver blessed with new clothes and both blessed with the joy of a loving friendship. However, our Heavenly Father does not want us to spend more time dressing our outside bodies than our inside, our hearts, our spirits….God says to us in Galatians 3:26-29, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” If we are clothed in Christ….it doesn’t matter what we wear! We are all the same in God’s eyes…..and Paul has the best advice for us in Romans 13 when he says, “…clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Just think how warm we will be from the inside out, clothed in Jesus’ love. Father, forgive us when our priorities get out of whack. Help us to dress our hearts and minds with the love of Christ, to Your glory! And Father, thank you for the blessing of loving friends that share in so many ways….and thank you for hand-me-downs.
The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7. Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Proverbs 31:30.
Love you all!
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