Unadorning to Adorn

Dear Worshipers,

It occurred to me the other day while taking Christmas decorations down that in order to adorn my home for the “ordinary” season which we will soon enter, I have to unadorn. It then occurred to me that unadorn was not a word, so let me clarify. In order to dech my halls for the after Christmas season, I had to first undeck them. Wait a minute? That’s not a word either.

O.K., let me try this again. We are talking about taking off one thing off and putting on another. Imagine how silly it would be to just put all your other stuff back up on top of the Christmas stuff, if it would even be possible. You would not imagine doing that, would you? I mean really. You change outfits for a different season, not simply put a new on top of the old. This is pretty obvious stuff.

Then the Lord reminded me of the spiritual principle at work here. “You have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” Colossians 3:9b-10 Oh, yes!

As I enter the New Year, I find myself asking, “What do I want to put on this year?” Here’s a good list to start clothing ourselves from “as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved”: “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 1Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:12-14.

Then I realized, “I can not put those things on over my current wardrobe.” I cannot just add to my life. I must first take away. Unadorn, if you will. Some of the things I might be guilty of would include “sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry, anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from my lips.” Colossians 3:5b, 8b That was my old life. I used to walk in those ways. And so did you. Let’s not lie to each other.

As you enter the New Year. Take some time to ask the Lord what He wants to adorn your life with this year. As you do, listen for what He is telling you to strip off. Let Him help you and be prepared to be clothed with the peace of Christ your Lord, now and throughout the year.

Don’t just adorn, unadorn.

In Christ,

Pastor Scott