Inspirational: Clothed in His Approval

by: Linda Kirby/WGON 3.2.26

There was a time when, getting dressed for work, I made sure everything matched — my earrings, my shoes, my outfit. I wanted the world to see me as “put together,” to look at me with approval. But that was before Jesus changed what I care about.

Now, my clothes don’t “cover” me the way they used to. I dress to be covered by Christ. As long as I’m modest and decent, that’s enough. What the world thinks of me means nothing. What Jesus thinks of me means everything. I want His approval, not the world’s.

Somewhere along the way, the Church forgot that. We started caring more about looking acceptable to the world than being a light in the world. We brought the world into the sanctuary instead of shining the light of Christ out into the darkness.

But God is calling His people back. Not to be impressive. Not to be fashionable. Not to be “put together.” He’s calling us to be covered — covered by Jesus, covered by His righteousness, covered by His presence, covered by His wing.

Unfortunately, today’s church is more concerned with what the world thinks of them than with the One they claim to worship. They are like I used to be — asking, “Will the world approve of my appearance?” instead of asking, “Will Jesus approve?”

The Church has forgotten it is supposed to be the salt and the light. In many places, the light has gone out. They affirm the world’s ways rather than lovingly showing that God’s Word says, “This is not the path of life.” We can love people without affirming sin. But today’s world believes that if you don’t affirm their sin, then you are a hater.

Galatians 1:10 says, “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” People today are too afraid of being called names if they refuse to conform to this world. The early church wrestled with that same pressure. But in Acts 5:29, Peter and the apostles said, “We must obey God rather than men.”

The world is headed toward a different destination than the Church. So why would we follow it? I want to hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”