Christian Living

GROOMING

by olive Ngoe
02/28/11
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GROOMING
Fashion trends come and go, but they are always guaranteed to cause excitement and create faithful followers. A label item of either clothing or fragrance will be found in many of our closets. It is easily recognizable as it will bear the label signature of the designer whether it is in the cut of the seam or the images that the fragrance evokes. More often than not you will hear someone ask ‘Is that Tommy hill?’ or ‘are you wearing Dior?’. And we often feel quite proud of the fact that someone can associate us with a designer label.
I think about my own relationship with my savior Jesus Christ. I wonder whether it is easily recognizable in my life that I put on Christ, or if the fragrance that comes from my life is his. It is easy to want to be associated with someone famous; however I find that when it comes to the one that who loves me and laid down his life for me, I am a bit reluctant. Sometimes I will hesitate because of fear; I have been used to wearing the world so much that putting on Jesus is destined to make me stand out and cause uproar, anger, ridicule and even attack. Any designer knows that a completely radical design that does not fall in step with what is regarded as conventional will face skepticism, criticism and discouragement. No one knows this better than the master designer himself; he experienced it on Calvary even as he died for those who would not accept him. And he tells me in no uncertain terms, that if the world hates me, it hated him before it hated me. He knows and he is with me.
I find that other times I will not put him on because of sin. I find that though I had left the old life behind, I still cling to the vestiges of the old clothe that is covered with fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing and the like.
Jesus has appointed me as an ambassador in his physical absence here on earth. Therefore it is and should always be my desire that what I put on in my walk and talk is identifiable to him. He does not want my life to give mixed signals and conflicting fragrances. Instead he wants me to trade my filthy robes for his robe of righteousness. He desires that I emit a fragrance that is a rare collection of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. He wants me to put on the new nature which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator, its designer.
There are times and we all have them, when I might not be the aroma of Christ to God, because I fail and falter. However, this should not discourage me and send me scurrying for the old clothe; instead I should run to the designer to clothe me again. It is only in him and through him I can emit a fragrance of life. Thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads is in triumph and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.