Recently I was having a discussion with a new member of my church. The discussion started with her stopping me to say “Pastor Ron you have messed up my whole dating game”. I was certainly inclined to hear more, after all, this is what I live for, disturbing worldly perspectives with God’s perspective. I was curious to hear just how that was done. What I heard was far different from what I expected. What she explained was this, excuse me as I paraphrase:

“I was so used to relying on my femininity to get over, but since I have been here at D-Way I’m trying to live to please God and so I’m stripped of my usual devices. I feel like I’m left with nothing. Now I’m trying to find out what I have to work with. I’m asking God to show me how to use what’s left.”

As I stood there listening, in my mind I was thinking WOW, what a vivid description of what happens to so many believers in the midst of having their minds renewed and what an awesome request to offer to God. The spirit of God urges us to take off characteristics that hinder us from looking like Christ. When that happens elements of who we are become exposed, where flirtation used to be, there is now exposed conscience, where rudeness used to be, is now laid bare. As worldly character is torn away many of us find that we are uncomfortable with what’s underneath, not because what we find is bad, but because we aren’t used to what’s under there. If I’m out and realize that I left my cell phone at home, I feel uncomfortable. I’m so used to having it with me that without it I feel NAKED!

This is a great place to be in as a believer. Why? So glad you asked, let me give a quick hygiene lesson. Unless you are a college student with a greater struggle than the norm, or a really sad bachelor, you don’t put clean clothes over dirty under garments. To be clothed with Christ you have to be stripped of unrighteousness. You have to take off indifference to put on compassion, you have to take off harshness to put on kindness, you have to take off pride to put on humility. Here is what the Bible says:

Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Romans 13:14
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

This doesn’t happen all it once, you don’t pull off all your clothes like you were wearing one of those one piece velcro outfits. Rather you shed the old stuff like you would remove clothing if you were getting undressed, one piece at a time. It’s a process, which means that you are going to be taking off impatience and putting on patience as you go through the process. The end result is worth the discomfort, worth the exposure. In the end you become more like Christ and become a brighter light in a dark world.

I told this sister she was in a good place! In the kingdom of God when the old is gone, new comes. I explained that she can rejoice in the progress of the process, she is becoming who and what God intended her to be. So if you are a believer who is seriously chasing after God, submitting your life to Christ in such away that you are committing to change, you have to realize that the uncomfortable feeling of being “left with nothing” is proof that the Spirit of God is at work in you. As you continue to submit to God, being led by the spirit, you will be clothed with Christ but a little nakedness has to come first.