Colossians 3 (The Message)
9-11Don't lie to one another. You're done with that old life. It's like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you've stripped off and put in the fire. Now you're dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.
CONTROVERSY! -- I'm a proponent of school uniforms. I have spent 17 years in education as a teacher, coach, and now administrator. I have been a faculty member at 3 different school systems. As an Athletic Director I get to work closely with administrators from other school systems. One topic of discussion that never goes away is School Dress Codes. You can be for or against school dress codes, but until you spend a year in a school and see the wild and outlandish things students wear to school, you can't really take a stand. I have seen it all. (Unfortunately, whenever I say that, I see something that shocks me even more.) Too much cleavage, too much "crack", not enough clothing, too much exposure in the hind parts or other personal body areas, inappropriate slogans, offensive language, and graphic pictures. As I said, I want school uniforms. With uniforms, the division shrinks between the haves and the have nots. Uniforms allow the focus to be on the education and not "Project Runway". I remember one of my daughters absolutely NEEDING a pair of "Lucky" jeans when she was in high school. The jeans cost $70. Ok, that might not seem like a lot to you, but I grew up wearing plain pocket jeans that we bought for $10. Nike, Addidas, Tommy Hilfiger, they all get our students hooked on their label. Trust me, it costs to wear those labels.
When we take the step to join the family of God, we get a new wardrobe. That wardrobe consists of nothing but taylor made suits, designer clothing, and personalized labels. The great thing about this new wardrobe? God provides the same uniform for all believers. Once we have God's "school uniform" on, you can't tell anything about our past, you can't tell anything about the condition of our heart before we joined the club. You can't tell anything about all the dumb choices we've made. God wipes it all away. We start brand new. This wardrobe is always in fashion and never wears out. People no longer look at what we're wearing, they can only see the changes God has made in our heart! Isn't that great. God doesn't want us seen for what's on the outside, so he remakes us all so we are the same on the outside. Then the change that is inside us will shine through like the brightness of a million stars. That is awesome!
Thank you Lord for transforming us from what we use to be. Thank You for taking our inside and making it more important than what we have on the outside. You are the creator and the re-creator of all things, including my own Heart! Praise God for all things! Amen!
CONTROVERSY! -- I'm a proponent of school uniforms. I have spent 17 years in education as a teacher, coach, and now administrator. I have been a faculty member at 3 different school systems. As an Athletic Director I get to work closely with administrators from other school systems. One topic of discussion that never goes away is School Dress Codes. You can be for or against school dress codes, but until you spend a year in a school and see the wild and outlandish things students wear to school, you can't really take a stand. I have seen it all. (Unfortunately, whenever I say that, I see something that shocks me even more.) Too much cleavage, too much "crack", not enough clothing, too much exposure in the hind parts or other personal body areas, inappropriate slogans, offensive language, and graphic pictures. As I said, I want school uniforms. With uniforms, the division shrinks between the haves and the have nots. Uniforms allow the focus to be on the education and not "Project Runway". I remember one of my daughters absolutely NEEDING a pair of "Lucky" jeans when she was in high school. The jeans cost $70. Ok, that might not seem like a lot to you, but I grew up wearing plain pocket jeans that we bought for $10. Nike, Addidas, Tommy Hilfiger, they all get our students hooked on their label. Trust me, it costs to wear those labels.
When we take the step to join the family of God, we get a new wardrobe. That wardrobe consists of nothing but taylor made suits, designer clothing, and personalized labels. The great thing about this new wardrobe? God provides the same uniform for all believers. Once we have God's "school uniform" on, you can't tell anything about our past, you can't tell anything about the condition of our heart before we joined the club. You can't tell anything about all the dumb choices we've made. God wipes it all away. We start brand new. This wardrobe is always in fashion and never wears out. People no longer look at what we're wearing, they can only see the changes God has made in our heart! Isn't that great. God doesn't want us seen for what's on the outside, so he remakes us all so we are the same on the outside. Then the change that is inside us will shine through like the brightness of a million stars. That is awesome!
Thank you Lord for transforming us from what we use to be. Thank You for taking our inside and making it more important than what we have on the outside. You are the creator and the re-creator of all things, including my own Heart! Praise God for all things! Amen!
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