Whether your family celebrates Halloween or not, it is hard to miss a hoard of children dressed as everything from princess and pirates to Lego men and weeping angels as they travel around neighborhoods begging for tricks or treats. For a few hours they get to pretend to be heroes, or villains. They can forget about homework, grades, and chores and just BE. And this got me thinking...
We are all wearing costumes. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary a costume is "an outfit worn to create the appearance characteristic of a particular period, person, place, or thing". Now take a look at this verse from John 3:6, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit". If you have accepted Christ, you are no longer flesh, but spirit. Hebrews 13:14 reminds us that this is not our home. So follow me here. We who are saved by grace are wearing a costume and wandering the neighborhood until we go home.
That leaves us with a myriad of costume choices. Fortunately, God has some suggestions for us. Ephesians 4:22-24 encourages us to shed our old costume and instead put on a new one. One that is in the likeness of God. Ephesians 6:10-18 reminds us that while we are here in this world we aren't safe and as a result we need to put on our armor to protect and defend ourselves. Colossians 3:12-15 gives us a list of things to put on as well: compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness and love. And the suggestions don't stop here.
God's word is full of advice about how we should navigate this world, if we just take the time to read it. Instead we tend to be so focused on gathering the treats and avoiding the tricks that we neglect the instructions our Father has given us before He sent us out. This Halloween I encourage you to take some time to consult with Him. Trust me in that the costume He would have you to wear really is flame retardant!
*originally published on Coffee with Christ
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