Clothed in Righteousness
“I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels.”
As we worked from home through the lockdowns a few years back, it was easy to put on a work-appropriate top - but keep your pyjama pants on. However, research started to show that the clothes we wore impacted our mood and productivity.
Isaiah 61:10 paints a picture of being clothed in salvation and righteousness. When you imagine yourself before God, how do you feel? Is it a feeling reminiscent of being called to the principal's office? Or the warm pride of a wedding, being dressed in your best, surrounded by friends and family celebrating something
fantastic?
We are not our mistakes, inadequacies or sins - we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ.
Earlier in the week, we talked about letting go of false identities. Has anything crept back in that you need to let go of? Take a moment to imagine yourself taking that off; it’s ill-fitting and heavy. In its place, put on the identity Jesus has won for you.
Just as we intentionally get dressed every morning, it’s a deliberate and daily choice to put on our identity. How might you behave differently today as a result of embracing this God-given identity? What freedom, kindness, love and grace might come from an assurance that you’re not living to earn acceptance but from a place of being accepted?
How does being clothed in Christ's righteousness impact how you see yourself and interact with others?