What Does Your Tee Shirt Look Like?

As the first days of the Hurricane Katrina disaster were unfolding, I happened upon a small news article on the Internet. It told the tale of a young tourist couple stranded in New Orleans. Found sitting on the curb outside of their hotel, the young lady was wearing a kitschy tee shirt with an obscenity boldly splashed across the front. When asked by the reporter if they knew when they would be rescued she replied, “I’m not sure, but I know one thing; I don’t want to die in this tee shirt.”

That comment has stuck in my mind. At first I thought to myself, “Well, duh! Why would you want to live in that tee shirt?” But as I reflected on the girl’s situation I had to admit, spiritually, am I any different? When I look at my life, could I say the same thing - I don’t want to die (or live!) in this disgusting mind, body… spirit? Do I want to stand before God with my obscene, sinful life emblazoned across my chest like a walking billboard? God forbid! But the wondrous thing is … I don’t have to!

Colossians 3:8-10 tells us, “But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” 

In this passage ‘taken off’ is translated from the Greek word meaning ‘to strip off clothes’.  Wow – could there be a better mind image than this? Ripping that old self over my head like a filthy, stinking rag and pulling on the new self, white and Downy-fresh! And the cool thing is, it’s not a one-shot deal, but a constant renewal of whiteness and freshness!

Thank you, Jesus for your daily renewal of our minds and hearts when we seek your face day by day. Amen and Amen

Linda Kreider