See Ya in the Waves

“Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

Colossians 3:12

It was a beautiful summer day. The sun was shining, the waves were breaking, and my friends and I were enjoying the teen scene at the beach. It was a day like many before; we were just hanging out and having fun. 

All of a sudden, several of us noticed that Sharon had drifted away from us and now was waving urgently to get our attention. She didn’t seem in danger; just distress. A couple of us swam over to her and discovered that she had lost the elastic in her bathing suit bottom…and the waves then had swept it away! All of sudden she found herself unprepared to join in our party. 

What do you do when you’re half-naked in the waves? And why did Sharon go into the water (as she later admitted) with a loose suit to begin with? 

I see her unfortunate experience as a great metaphor for life. Poorly prepared Sharon lost her suit, but sometimes it’s more than just a suit we have stripped away. All of us, at times, have been unprepared for something that happens. All of us, at times, even put ourselves at risk by going into a situation with preparation that is less than best. That’s why the Colossians passage quoted above offers such great, practical wisdom. 

Most of us take the necessary time and effort to clothe ourselves so we can create a pleasant – or at least appropriate – appearance. Yet we can forget to “put on” the most essential things: the spiritual clothing that actually equips us to face both the expected and unexpected circumstances of life.

And if we’re spiritually unclothed, then we can get caught in the waves of life that leave us naked.

Once, after stepping out of a meeting, I found myself grumbling and complaining. I realized I had left home without my spiritual clothing, and therefore I had been unprepared for what I faced. It is often in those tense, unexpected moments, that I can “see” my spiritual nakedness if I am willing to look.

God has promised us He will change our clothes and cover our nakedness with His character…but only if we ask Him. Yet we don’t always ask because we’re busy and distracted. Sometimes we assume that our character is clean and that we are ready to face whatever comes. Sometimes we assume that we’re “belted up”, or that our “loose elastic” will hold on just a bit longer…. And then, like Sharon, we’re hit by an unexpected wave and we find ourselves exposed. 

In the morning, we brush our teeth, put on our clothing, and pick up our phone and keys. These tasks, among others, prepare us physically for the day. Here’s a good time to also consider whether we have put on our spiritual clothing offered to us through Christ. As we pray, as we study and meditate on God’s Word, he will clothe us spiritually for our day, by preparing our hearts – and our character – for whatever lies ahead. 

Rather than be caught with broken elastic on our spiritual suits, let’s remember to check our spiritual clothing before we walk out the door so we’re prepared. 

See ya in the waves!

Let me pray for you. Dear Jesus, how easily we can focus on the physical and mental preparation needed for our full and busy hours. At the same time, how easily we can overlook the most important component of a believer’s life – being prepared to meet our day by being clothed with you. I pray that those reading this blog would be encouraged to spend time with yo, so when they find themselves in life’s waves, they will be prepared. In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.