Steve And His Underwear

My friend Steve showed up at Remnant Sunday and said he was in such a rush to get to church that he had to glance down and make sure his underwear wasn’t on the outside of his pants. Thankfully, that was not the case and we could continue our conversation without the awkward embarrassment that only a grown man with underwear over jeans can bring. My kids used to wear their underwear over their sweats, but they also had a towel pinned around their neck and made superhero noises. I checked Steve’s neck, no towel, so he wasn’t channeling his inner Superman.

And why does Superman wear his undies outside of his tights? Maybe that was the style on Krypton. Somebody needed to clue him in that we don’t do things like that here. You ain’t in Krytpon no more… But I digress.

Steve’s potential underwear crisis had a point. He said that you could have everything together, but still in the wrong place. And he was right. Underwear under your clothes, good. Underwear outside your clothes; bad. Unless you are Madonna or Britney Spears, and that puts you in a different bad category all your own.

I started thinking about how many people do the right thing on the outside, but are wrong on the inside. They go to church, but it is merely to make an appearance. They know they should, so they do, but they don’t apply themselves to get anything out of it. And don’t use the excuse that the pastor or priest is boring. If you are bored every Sunday, first check your heart, then check the preacher. You may need an attitude check or your pastor may be boring, and not really able to meet your spiritual needs. If that is the case, find a place that will minister to you, and where you can minister. Church is a two way street. You go to church to have your spiritual needs met, but one of the ways you meet your spiritual needs is by ministering to other people. In this case, it is better to give AND receive. You have to admit, God has a great economy!

I see marriages that are hanging on by a thread. The people are still together, but they aren’t really married, they just live in the same house. That is underwear on the outside. Here’s what I know. God hates divorce. “I hate the violent dismembering of the ‘one flesh’ of marriage.”(Malachi 2:16 The Message” But I alos know that God wants me to be happy and fulfilled in my life. So if that is the case, then God must be able to make me happy in my marriage. Makes sense to me. And I know it works, because it happened for Lanette and I.

So what about you? What parts of your life are in the wrong order, or out of place? We make New Year’s Resolutions this time of year. Some people are dieting, or have quit smoking, or any number of other things they want to accomplish. How about letting God put your spiritual life together being the number one priority for you this year? You just might be surprised to find that your underwear actually fits better on the inside!

Checking my outfit… Jerry