God Needs Us to Dress Up?

by Pastor Daniel

Hello Friends,

Halloween is tomorrow, but for most of us the parties and trick-or-treating have already happened. While I was growing up, it seemed like trick-or-treating always took place on October 31st but the school parties usually took place on the Friday before Halloween. Now trick-or-treating takes place during the weekend. I guess times have changed! But what hasn’t changed, when it comes to Halloween, is the participation of dressing up and putting on a costume.

For the past several weeks now, we have been talking about Halloween costumes. I asked you what kind of costume you had and I shared with you that I really wanted to go as a donkey this year for Halloween–because they are the only animal that has the sign of the cross on them. As I think about our previous conversations, I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about that the Apostle Paul–one of Jesus’s helpers–tells us that we need to dress up for Jesus. Now, Paul doesn’t mean put on a costume; but he does mean something else. He wants us to be kind and loving instead of angry and mean. Let me share this with you…

When it comes to dress-up, my nieces will jump at the opportunity to dress-up in princess outfits. It’s almost like playing dress-up is part of their DNA. They love putting on Anna dresses, Elsa dresses, Snow White dresses, and Mini Mouse dresses. Sometimes the dress stays on all day, but there are days when each dress is worn for five minutes. Whether the dress is worn all day or for five minutes, each girl takes on the role of whoever that dress is associated with: it’s almost as if they become someone new; they have set aside the old and put on something new.

Paul is inviting us to do the same thing: to become someone new. And this new person sets aside all anger, bitterness, and strives to be nice to their parents and friends. Paul wants us to dress up like Jesus, to do what Jesus would do, so that we can be loving, kind, and tenderhearted to everyone in our life–even when it is tough to do. So, after Halloween is done, we can still dress up, put on a costume, and be someone new…but the challenge is, is to dress up like Jesus. Are you ready to become someone new?

Your Friend, Holy Spirit!

Pastor Daniel