As winter approaches, I put away summer clothing and make sure warm clothes are readily available. Having spent many winters in some very cold climates, I have learned the value of layering clothes, covering my head, hands and feet adequately and know the difference between a coat that is just for dress and one that really serves as protection against harsh winds and frigid temperatures.
Have you ever seen pictures of men, women and children wearing nightcaps and thermal underwear to bed? There was a very practical reason for this attire. Prior to centrally heated homes, it was necessary to keep in body heat as much as possible. A heated brick placed in the bottom of bedcovers at night and proper clothing assured that you could make it through the night without freezing. You just didn’t want to be the first one up in the morning to stoke the fire in the fireplace!
Appropriate clothing for every season and environment offers protection against the elements – blazing sun in the summer, protection from biting insects and thorny plants as well as my most dreaded contact – poison ivy. When working in areas where poison ivy and greenbrier are prominent, I take extra care sometimes wearing a double layer even in the hot summer time just to protect my skin.
At the end of a workday, or when I know that I will not be going out in public again, I have comfort clothes I wear around the house. Not binding and usually made of soft materials, this clothing gives me the freedom to relax – quite a luxury after a long day of physical work.
Our bodies need protection. Clothing can help provide that protection.
God, who created our bodies, knew we would also need spiritual protection from the harmful elements of a sinful world. He has provided the clothing we need. Without it, we are unprotected. Just like a child who has been given a warm coat to wear but goes outside in the cold without it, we can refuse to put on the garments He offers.
I choose to wear the protective clothing God provides and thank my Savior and Comforter for all it represents – now and forever.
I greatly rejoice in the Lord, I exult in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a groom wears a turban and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels (Isaiah 61:10). For this corruptible must be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal must be clothed with immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53). Put on the whole armor of God, that you can stand against the tactics of the devil (Ephesians 6:11 HCSB).
One Focus Ministries 