Colossians 3:12,14 – As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. (NRSV)

Men are amazed at all the "torture" women go through to be attractive: hair manipulation on the head, face, legs, and body; exercise to keep the body at just the right weight or size; light garments to support that which nature refuses to do; and regular trips to the dermatologist, manicurist, pedicurist, and dentist.

In addition, we tend to analyze our food until eating ceases to be a pleasure and our bodies become a fuel refinery, adding the ingredients which our scientific knowledge says we need.

Ironically, after all this work to make the outer body beautiful, we then cover it with beautiful and expensive clothes, properly sized and colour coordinated. All this effort is put forth in an attempt to make us look better on the outside.

Whenever I begged for more clothes, cosmetics, and the things teenagers think they have to have, my mother always told me, "Beauty comes from within. Put on the garments of kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, and then bind them together with love, which matches all the colours in your garments. Then praise the Lord for all the good things He has given you, and let His Word dwell in you. This will put a glow on your face that cosmetics will never produce."

As a teenager, this did not satisfy my desires to be outwardly beautiful, but as the years have passed, I've learned to see the wisdom of her words.

As a growing Christian, which garments do we need to put on our shopping list first to be a well dressed Christian?

Prayer: Father, help us to see the inner beauty of a person, rather than their grooming and clothing. Help us to wear the spiritual adornment which shows that we are clothed in the garments of Jesus Christ. In His name, we pray. Amen.

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