I thought that since I hate to write stuff, but I HAVE to write stuff every week for the bulletin, and since I don't update as often as I should, that I would also post my article here....

Since finding out that I will be having a boy, a very interesting and new development has occurred.  I have suddenly become interested in baby clothes.  This didn’t really happen with the girls, whatever their mother picked out was great, but now that we are looking at boy clothes...well lets just say that I have realized something:  baby clothes (even boy baby clothes) are not all that “manly”.  Lauren and I went to a consignment sale this week, and we looked at clothes together, and she kept picking clothes that were “cute” and “sweet” while I was looking for clothes that were “strong” or “rough and tumble”.  I don’t know why I am suddenly so interested in clothes, I guess it is just another mystery of parenthood.  Thinking about clothes so much reminded me of the verse in Colossians 3:12

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

I am interested in the baby clothes because I want my son to be seen in a certain way and I understand that the things we wear have an impact on the way we are perceived.  But our clothes are not as important as our actions!  Paul is using this clothing analogy here to talk about a change that needs to take place as we move from being people separate from God to being God’s chosen people. I like to think of it this way:  Now that I am adopted by the King, I need to take off the old peasant clothes I was wearing and put on the royal robes that are appropriate for a son of the King!  This means changes in not just my attire, but also changes in my actions and decisions!  What in your life needs to be changed to match your “royal status?