Donna Naborsyour Spiritual jewelry box.

 

What’s in Your Closet?

I check the weather forecast each night, so I know how to dress the next day. There are several considerations including the outside temperature as well as how that affects my office inside temperature. Hmm do I wear a suit, a heavy sweater, a sleeveless dress, or maybe just take a matching sweater over a lightweight outfit? And then there is the shoe decision. And what about the jewelry?

My choices might be affirmed when someone compliments my outfit. But that is totally subjective with the other person’s opinion. And based on their daily choices of dress, do I consider the compliment as a good thing or bad thing? You know you’ve been there before.

In scripture we are given guidelines for our wardrobe also. We are told to put on or put off certain things. We are to put on the new (Eph 4:24), put off the old (Col 3:10), put on love, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (Col 3:12, 14), put off anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene speech (Col 3:8). We are also told to put on the whole armor of God (Eph 6:11)

1 Peter 3:3-4 talks about our adornment.

“Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.”

The word adornment (kosmos) means orderly arrangement or decoration. This verse is the only occurrence where it is translated as adornment. Other verses translate it as the world. The world as we know it as a whole, which was put together in an orderly arrangement. So, I see adornment as how you put yourself together. I think of it as wearing our jewelry simply stated versus wearing everything in our jewelry box at once. Did you get a mental picture of confusion?

In these verses, Peter gives us a comparison of outward versus inward adornment. The inward is referred to as the hidden person of the heart. Reminds me of one of my favorite scriptures.

“Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11).

What is hidden in our heart is our inner adornment which spills over into our outward adornment, though not necessarily in our physical appearance. But this adornment is seen by others in our demeanor, actions, and words. That is what I want others to see in me each day. The items hidden in my spiritual jewelry box versus my physical jewelry box.

Being adorned by God is filling our spiritual jewelry box with everything He has for us, so we can then wear whatever we need for that day or that moment. Simply stated but making an impact. An impact for the glory of the only opinion that matters.

What are you wearing today from the hidden treasures in your heart?