I generally sleep with a T-shirt as my pajama tops. I don't really think about this, I just pull a T-shirt from the drawer and put it on. (I only keep the ones that haven't shrunk up on me in the wash, you know the ones that still fit me, you know the ones I'm comfortable wearing.) This morning Melody said, "Hey, what is written on your T-shirt?" I really didn't know, so she began to read it out loud to me, as follows:
"I promise not to sleep in church, especially during the sermon. I will read the Bible and say my prayers. I promise not to sing off key and always arrive on time. I promise not to complain when the basket is passed around for the collection. I will never chew gum in church or sneak out early. Because, I am the minister. I AM the minister. I AM THE MINISTER."
Well, we both got a chuckle out of that. I don't remember if it is a shirt I bought or one someone gave me, but I know I have had it for many years. As I thought about this shirt and what my wearing it proclaimed I wondered, what other things people see in me and what they proclaim.
You see, each of us tend to gravitate towards that which is comfortable for us. We get into patterns and routines and don't like to vary from them. I never really considered what my T-shirt said. After all, I wear it because it is comfortable and lets me go to sleep easily in something that is soft and warm. Most of us feel the same way about life in general. We get into habits of action and find it hard to break from that habit, but what is it that others see in you, what is it that you would see in yourself, if you take time to reflect upon yourself?
This is definitely not a new problem, the apostle Paul wrote in Romans 13:11, "And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed." (NKJV)
Paul also wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:34, "Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits. Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame." Developing and keeping good habits, that's what we need to focus upon. Where we go, what we do, who we associate with, how we speak, even what we wear says something about us.
As we begin this New Year, perhaps it time to "Awake to righteousness." How about taking a look at what your life proclaims and if necessary, change it.
Russ Lawson
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