Submitted by Pastor David Shadinger, Rock Port & Watson United Methodist Churches

We ask the same questions every morning: “What am I going to wear? Jeans or pajamas? Sweater or hoodie? Glasses or contacts? Earrings or AirPods?” The most important decision we make each day is not what we wear on our bodies, but who we show out in our lives. Apostle Paul’s answer fits any setting: “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.”

If you wear formal clothes, you behave different than you would in sweatpants and a T-shirt. If you wear work clothes, you expect to work. Clothing doesn’t just express identity; it reinforces it.

Paul understands that. That’s why he talks about faith using the language of clothing.

His point is that discipleship doesn’t usually exist in dramatic YouTube adventures. It shows up in the way you conduct yourself in ordinary situations. The life of those who follow Jesus isn’t something they keep tucked away inside their hearts. It is something worn out into the world where people can see it.

Christ becomes the garment. To wear Christ means allowing His character to shape our instincts and reactions. Clothing affects how we move. Heavy boots change how we walk. A uniform changes how we carry ourselves. In the same way, putting on Christ shapes how we live every day.

Paul also reminds us of several other commandments: do not commit adultery, murder, or steal and don’t even think about coveting a friend’s belongings. He says these familiar instructions all point toward a single reality: “love your neighbor as yourself.”

Why? Because love does no harm to a neighbor. Love, like onesies, wet suits, long johns or overalls, literally becomes the garment that holds everything else together. Without love, morality becomes a one-dimensional checklist. With love, it becomes a dynamic way of life. Paul simply asks: What identity are you wearing?