Uniform

It is Sunday.  I roll over in my bed, grab my phone that inevitably woke me up last night begging to be charged, and turn off my alarm.  Stretching, I reach out and click on the 40-watt lamp that is next to my bed.  As I sit up, and stretch some more, working the kinks out of my back and neck I think to myself, what am I going to wear today?  Looking at my clock and seeing that it is 7:00, I remember that we are teaching one of our two daughter’s classes this week.  It is Sunday.

Taking a breath, I will myself out of the bed, feet first, hoping that the momentum of swinging my feet out of the bed will give me some sort of energy.  I shuffle sleepily into the kitchen, start my coffee and go back towards my room.  Entering the room I hear the bed calling my name, begging me to get back into it for just 5 more minutes.  My body is thrown off from the extra 30 minutes it already got.  Heading into our bathroom, I turn on the shower faucet and wait for it to warm up.  Waiting…. Waiting….  Waiting…. Usually I amuse myself by weighing myself on one of our two scales situated next to our vanity, I don’t know why I do this, the number is never really amusing.  The question is still in the back of my head, what can I wear today? 

The church we attend is an amazing church.  No perfect people are allowed, and therefore, everyone is welcome.  It is a church that is really focusing on the family and on the age group and demographic that is often times left out, the 20s and 30s.  We love our church.  Our church has adopted an amazing curriculum for cradle through college.  The kids are saturated in God’s love every time they walk into the rooms.  One of the concepts that they have there is that what the church teaches our kids is considered yellow, and what we teach our kids is considered red, when you combine those two colors, it makes Orange.  They work with the parents to ensure that the kids are not only getting the lessons at church, but also at home. 

Whenever anyone wants to volunteer to teach a class, they go through a background check, and a spiritual gifts test to see where they would best fit in the program.  We fit well into the 2-5 year old range (that is actually the age of our kids).  When you are told where you will be volunteering, you are presented with a BRIGHT orange shirt that reads “Our Kids Rock”.  Recently, the church has switched over to 2 services and with that change, my husband and I have taken on more teaching shifts.  We teach every week other than the 2^nd week.  Now I say this not only to brag on the church, but also so you understand the next part of the story. 

Back to Sunday…  Most Sundays, I don’t have to wonder what I am going to wear, because it has been pre-assigned to me.  I am going to wear my jeans, so I can move around with the kids, and wear my bright orange shirt.  It is my uniform.  My husband wears a uniform shirt to work everyday and therefore never has to wonder what he is going to be wearing.  I like that, it not only gives me less of a hassle in the morning when I am getting ready for church, it also shows the parents that are entrusting their children, that I belong there, that I have been screened. 

A uniform is pretty cool if you think about it.  At a glance, someone can tell if you work somewhere or if you go to school at a certain school.  (I have learned however not to wear khakis and a blue shirt to walmart!)  The uniform lets people easily identify you for guidance and help.  It allows them to know where you belong.  God gave us a uniform too. 

Ephesians 6

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

When we have this armor on, we are able to stand up against the schemes of the devil.  When we center TRUTH and RIGHTEOUSNESS (see blog entitled righteousness) and PEACE and FAITH and SALVATION and SPIRT as our daily uniform, people will see and recognize us as part of the Army of the Lord.  We don’t have to worry about how we are going to act that day, because it is pre-determined for us.  We know we are to be truthful, righteous, peacemakers, have faith that God will work it out and show that we have a salvation that is like no other.  The sword to cut down those opposing us, those trying to break our armor is the sword or the Spirit and that is the word of God. 

So every morning, put on the Armor of God.  Put your uniform on, make it a habit, take comfort in it and make others want to wear the armor too!  Peace and Blessings Y’all!