Clothe Yourself With Hope: Megan

Your adornment must not be merely external–braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. 1 Peter 3:3-4

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12

This series is for women to share what they are learning to spiritually clothe themselves with, how they choose to adorn their heart, and what they choose to put on because of their desire to be precious in God’s sight.

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I clothe myself with _________.

Most days I hop out of bed, or better yet, slowly and sleepily stagger from the bed and begin my day in stretchy pants, a worn-in tshirt, and day-old hair. Then there are those “special” days, like the days the kids attend Mother’s Day Out, and on those days I opt for fresh hair, denim, and a shirt that says “I sort of know what’s in style, but I’m also looking age appropriate at thirty.”

Style, or lack-of-style aside, I’m thankful that while we may focus our attention on what is outside, God is concerned with the heart (1 Samual 16:7).

Filling in the blank above was not an easy task. As a Christ-follower, I spend my days relying on grace and more grace and more grace… you get the picture. And just as Colossians 3 says, I constantly must clothe myself in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love. Who knew that being a stay-at-home Mom would give me abundant opportunities to clothe and re-clothe myself without ever leaving my stretchy pants?

As I pondered that blank space, the word that come to mind, and provided the best snapshot of how we as believers are to live, and how I am to clothe myself each day, was hope.

Hope. I clothe myself with hope.

Whether you are a stay-at-home mom like myself, or single, or married, or working outside the home, we all find ourselves needing to readjust our gaze and look to the great hope of the Gospel.

You see, for me, hope puts it all in perspective. There are moments I find myself calling out to my children to be kind to one another and I’ve just spoken a sharp word to my husband. There are times when it feels like everything I’ve done in a day has been undone by a toddler in a few minutes. There are days when all of my strivings to communicate Christ’s love to my children are met with tantrums and irritable attitudes.

So, then what? Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

I hope in Christ. I have hope because despite my good efforts, they were never good enough. Christ came to free me from the burden of my sin and make me acceptable in the sight of a holy God. I hope because even the mundane tasks of laundry and dishes point me to the Gospel. I hope because even on days when my children fight more than they share and snatch more than they embrace, I trust that God is at work and my labor is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58).

My prayer is that we readjust our perspective… that the difficulties we face point us to our eternal hope and the comforts we enjoy in this life not cloud our longing for eternity. May our hope rest firm on Jesus.

My Hope Rests Firm

My hope rests firm on Jesus Christ, He is my only plea. Though all the world should point and scorn, His ransom leaves me free. My hope sustains me as I strive and strain towards the goal; Though still I stumble into sin, His death paid for it all. My hope provides me with a spur to help me run this race: I know my tears will turn to joy the day I see his face. My hope is to be with my Lord, to know as I am known; To serve Him gladly all my days, in praise before His throne.

Hope. A powerful reality not always tapped into. Thankful for Megan. Reading her words I was convicted, reminded to hope in the steadfastness of God, not in elements of this broken world.