My mom was a meticulous dresser.  In today’s sociological terms, you might have called her obsessive.  Her dress had to fit right and feel right.  Her shoes, purse, and other accessories must match the outfit.  As a child, sitting on the bed, I would watch I would watch the process of getting ready for work before going next door to our babysitter with my younger brother. Fixing her thick dark head of hair was a work of getting every unruly hair follicle in place.  Then the final touch was to spray a blinding, chocking, sticky solution over it to hold it in place for the day.  (I can still smell and taste it!)  But as she worked on herself, it was a talk time for us.

I was proud of my Mom.  She was very talented as an executive secretary for an oil firm in downtown Oklahoma City.  She was fast and efficient in all she did.  She became a valuable resource for the company, doing the work of those she worked for in ways that amazed them at times.  I know this because they hired me for a summer break between college classes!  I watched her at work as she answered the calls and helped people find the solutions they needed with apparent ease.  She was learner, picking up all the details quickly, so she could helpful in the workplace

Mom worked among well-dressed executives who had the best clothes money could buy.  Being a working woman of the sixties; mom would never be paid as much as the men, but that didn’t matter to the quality of her work.  Doing her best with what she had and being the best she could be in her work was her consistent goal.  

Mom was a believer.  The real Master of her life and work was Jesus.  The “clothes” she put on the inside was just as important as the clothes she wore on the outside.  The same work ethic was taught and demonstrated in our home and at the church we attended.  I knew that my mom would be the same in any place or circumstance with whoever she related because of what she wore on the inside.  She wore the designer clothes of her Master, clothes that last forever.  I will see her again someday in those glorious clothes Jesus gave her for heaven with Him.  I am grateful for her teaching that was instilled by Jesus to me.  How do I know, Jesus is my Master, too!

Colossians 3, The Message

He Is Your Life

3 ^1-2 So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.

^3-4 Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.

^5-8 And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It’s because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn’t long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it’s all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.

^9-11 Don’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.

^12-14 So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

^15-17 Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

* * *

¹⁸ Wives, understand and support your husbands by submitting to them in ways that honor the Master.

¹⁹ Husbands, go all out in love for your wives. Don’t take advantage of them.

²⁰ Children, do what your parents tell you. This delights the Master no end.

²¹ Parents, don’t come down too hard on your children or you’ll crush their spirits.

^22-25 Servants, do what you’re told by your earthly masters. And don’t just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“If you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it.”  Paul’s passion is evident.  Get and Be serious.  Our behaviors must match what we say we believe about Jesus!  As much as mom matched accessories to her dress all the more our behaviors must match what we believe. 

“Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator”  Wear the newest and latest by our Designer who gave us real life!  “…dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.”

Paul includes a “tagline” to this part of the letter for obvious reasons to me this morning—all this begins at home in our hearts and goes with us in the all the details of our lives!  Husbands, Wives, Children, Employees, Employers, Servants of God—Submit, respect, love generously, understand, support, obey, because “every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—is to be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.”

“Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ!”

Lord,

Thank you for helping me get “dressed” this morning.  Thank you for demonstrating real love by saving my soul.  Thank you for real life that follows my believing, a life that is eternal and nonrefundable!  Thank you for always being with us to help us stay dressed in your love—the most important garment!

In Jesus Name, Amen