Change Your Garments
Changing garments in the Bible
is an outward manifestation of an inward transformation.
We learn this from the many
instances in the Bible when people changed their garments as their situations
changed.
Joseph Change Your Garments
A perfect example of changing
garments is from Joseph because he changed his garments many times as he went
through the many stages and seasons of his life.
Joseph the
Beloved Son's Garment
Jacob loved Joseph more than
all his other children because he was the child of his old age and he made him
a coat of many colors. (Genesis 37:3)
This coat of many colors
represented the fact that he was loved dearly by his father.
However it also
made his brothers hate him with a passion. Therefore when they got the chance,
they Stripped Joseph of the tunic of many colors (Genesis
37:23) and cast him into a pit with the intention of killing him.
This stripping of the coat of
many colors represented the end of his status as the favored son who was sent
by his father to check up on his brothers.
Joseph the
Beloved Slave's Garment
Joseph's brothers sold him to
Midianites who took him to Egypt and sold him to be a slave in Potiphar's house.
God blessed Joseph and his work so much that Potiphar left all his possessions
to be managed by Joseph.
However, Potiphar's wife wanted
to commit adultery with Joseph and when he declined, she grabbed him by his
garment, but he left the garment in her hand. (Genesis 39:12)
This leaving of his garment in
her hand as he ran outside represented the end of his season as a slave since
she falsely accused him of attempted rape and he was imprisoned.
Joseph the Beloved Prisoner's Garment
Once again God blessed Joseph and his work so much that the
keeper of the prison left all the prisoners and everything they did to be
managed by Joseph.
One day, Pharaoh, the king of Egypt had a dream that none of
his wise men or magicians could interpret. His butler who had had his dream
interpreted by Joseph while he was in prison, informed Pharaoh of Joseph.
Pharaoh sent for him and he shaved and changed his clothing before he came to
Pharaoh. (Genesis 41:14)
This changing of his clothing represented the end of his
season as a prisoner.
Joseph the Beloved Prime Minister's Garment
When Pharaoh recognized Joseph's wisdom after he interpreted
his dream, Pharaoh appointed him to be the Prime Minister of Egypt and put his
signet ring in Joseph's had, Clothed him in garments of fine
linen and put a gold chain around his neck. (Genesis
41:42)
This changing of his clothing represented the beginning of his season as
a Prime Minister.
The many changes in Joseph’s life are somewhat akin to the
changes that a butterfly goes through during its metamorphosis from a round egg
to a caterpillar and then to a pupa in a cocoon before it finally becomes a
beautiful butterfly.
Therefore if you would like to change from one situation or
season in your life to another, begin by changing your outward and inward
appearance to match the situation or season you want to enter.
For example if you have been working from home in your
pajamas as a freelance graphic designer and you now want to get an office job
as the Creative Director of an advertising agency, begin changing your
outer and inner garments.
To change your external appearance, you can begin waking up
at the time you would if you had to commute to that dream job. Then shower and
wear the type of clothes you would wear if you were working as a Creative
Director for that company even if you are still designing from your home.
To change your internal appearance, meditate and confess
Scriptures that can make your dream of becoming a Creative Director a reality.
For example you can meditate on I have committed my work to the Lord
and my thoughts of being a Creative Director are being established. (Deuteronomy
28:12)
***
Change
Your Garments Bartimaeus
Blind Bartimaeus was sitting by the side of the road begging
when he heard that Jesus was passing by. He then stopped begging and started
crying out to Jesus. Jesus stood and gave the command that he should be
called. When he was called, He threw away his garment and came to
Jesus. (Mark 10:50)
By throwing away the garments that identified him as a blind
beggar when he rose to go to Jesus, Bartimaeus signified the end of that
chapter in his life.
He was wise enough to realize that his life would never be
the same again because Jesus had called him and that is why he threw away those
garments even before he was healed.
This throwing away of the blind and begging garments was an
act of faith because it said he would not need them again even though he was
physically still a blind beggar.
Jesus recognized this act of faith for He said to him,
"Your faith has healed you." (Mark 10:52)
Therefore understand that you may have to take a leap
of faith and throw away the garments you wore in the season of your life that
you want to end even before the one you want to begin has started.
For example, if you made your money dishonestly and you want
that chapter of your life to end so that you can start a new one of earning a
living honestly, you have to throw away the clothes you wore and the tools you
used to make money dishonestly even before you begin making money honestly.
In addition to being a statement of faith, this throwing away
of the clothes and tools you used to make money dishonestly, also serves as a
way of telling yourself that there is no going back since you have nothing to
go back to.
This throwing away of your old outer garments should also be
accompanied by throwing away of the inner garments you wore during that chapter
of your life that you want to close. These inner garments are the thoughts
you used to think in order to enable you to carry out your old, bad
profession well. Therefore replace those negative thoughts with new ones that
will enable you to make an honest living.
To facilitate this transformation from the old you to the new
you, you have to come to Jesus like Bartimaeus did (Mark 10:52) so that He can
guide you as you enter the new chapter of your life.
To do this, simply say with your mouth that "Jesus is
Lord" and then believe in your heart that when He died for our sins God
raised Him from the dead and you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)
The second step of following Jesus is praying every morning
for His help and before every significant decision for His direction.
The third step of following Jesus is reading at least one
chapter of the Bible each day and trying to do what it says.
***
Change
Your Garments Ruth
Ruth was a widow who
left her people and moved with her widowed mother-in-law Naomi to Israel. The
two widows lived together and Ruth worked to sustain them by gleaning in a
field belonging to Boaz.
When Naomi decided to help Ruth
change her situation and get married to Boaz, she advised her to "Wash yourself,
anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go to the
threshing floor where you will find Boaz." (Ruth 3:3)
Putting on her best garment
entailed removing the ones she had been wearing which could have been those of
a widow who worked by gleaning in the fields. It therefore symbolized parting
with her old status of a widow and preparing to start a new chapter of her life
as a married woman.
Therefore if want to
start a new chapter of your life and especially the chapter of being married,
understand that you have to remove the old physical and mental garments you
wore when you were single and begin wearing your best physical, mental and
spiritual garments.
The new physical garments you can begin wearing are decent
clothes which suit your body type.
The new mental garments you should begin wearing to help you
find a godly spouse are thoughts from the Bible that you can meditate on like:
God sets the solitary in families. (Psalm 68:6)
Marriage is honorable. (Hebrews 13:4)
God has opened
His hand and satisfied my desire to get married. (Adapted Psalm 145:14-16)
The new spiritual
garments you should begin wearing to help you find and marry a godly spouse
are:
1. Salvation - Say with your mouth that "Jesus is Lord" and
believe in your heart that when He died for our sins, God raised Him from the
dead and you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)
2. Righteousness - Doing the right thing in the sight of God all the time. This will also help you get married for the Bible tells us that The desire of the righteous will be granted (Proverbs 10:24).
3. Truth - Speaking the truth all the time.
4. Gospel - Reading the Gospels of Jesus to prepare yourself before you go out to mingle with other Christian singles.
5. Faith - Believing the Word of God so that you can destroy every dart the devil shoots in your direction.
6. The Word of God - Speaking the Word of God over your situation so that you can change your status from single to happily married.
***
Change Your Garments Prodigal
Son
The Prodigal Son is another person who changed his garments
when he moved from one chapter of his life to the next.
The Bible tells us that this man asked his father for his
inheritance and relocated to another country where he wasted all his money on
extravagant living. The country experienced a severe famine which forced him to
begin feeding the pigs of one of its citizens in order to survive.
However, one day he came to himself. And when he did, he realized
that his father's servants had enough food to eat and yet he would have gladly
eaten pig's food since no one gave him anything. He therefore decided to go
back home and ask his father to forgive him and make one of the servants.
As the Prodigal Son approached their home, his father saw
him, felt compassion for him, ran towards and kissed him. When he tried to
tell his father that he was no longer worthy to be called his son, his
dad would hear none of it and he asked the servants to Bring the
best robe and dress him with it, put a ring on his finger and sandals on
his feet. (Luke 15:22)
Since the prodigal son had been a pig-feeding servant, he was
probably dressed in clothes worn by servants. By dressing him with the
best robe in the home, his father signified that he had changed his status from
servant to son.
Therefore if you want to move from one chapter in your life
to another understand that you have to change your outer and inner garments.
For example if you are living a
debased life that is below the standards and rights that your Heavenly Father
has given you physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and financially
and you want to move yourself to a new chapter in your life where you are
living the abundant life that Jesus came to give you, you have to change your
inner and outer garments by doing the following:
1. Come to Yourself
Coming to yourself means
recognizing who you are.
If
you do not know who you really are, read your Bible. For example it says
that:
You are a child of God - I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My
sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.
(2 Corinthians 6:18)
You are Jesus’ friend - You
are My friends if you do whatever I command you. (John 15:14)
You are Jesus’ disciple - If
you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. (John 8:31)
You are Christ's ambassador - We
are ambassadors for Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:20)
You are the temple of the Holy
Spirit - Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in
you, whom you have from God (1 Corinthians 6:19)
After realizing who you are
according to the Word of God, refuse to live below your God
given privileges. To do this and begin living within your God given rights
know that you must move spiritually, move mentally and move physically.
2. Move Spiritually
To shift spiritually you have
to return to your heavenly Father's house and begin going to a Bible preaching
Church on Sundays.
Combine going to Church with
getting saved. To get saved, say with your mouth that "Jesus is Lord"
and believe that when He died for our sins God raised Him from the dead and you
will be saved. (Romans 10:9)
In addition, ensure that you
pray and read your Bible everyday so that you can continue moving towards God
spiritually.
3. Move Mentally
Moving mentally means replacing
the thoughts that enabled you to eat pig's food as you lived below your God
given privileges with those that will enable you to eat fattened calves as you
enjoy your God granted privileges.
For example, if you told
yourself that the disease is too advanced to be healed and you must therefore
bear with it, change your mind and begin thinking that By His stripes I
am healed. (Isaiah 53:5)
If you told yourself that you
are too ugly to be loved and married and you must therefore suffer from
loneliness until you die, change your mind and begin thinking that I am
fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14)
If you told yourself that you
are too uneducated to prosper and you must therefore suffer in poverty, change
your mind and begin telling yourself that I am beginning to prosper and
I will continue prospering until I become very prosperous (Adapted Genesis
26:13) because The cattle on a thousand hills belong to my heavenly
Father. (Psalm 50:10)
If you told yourself that you
cannot clean your language because it is your second nature, begin telling
yourself that Only good words which are necessary for edification come
out of my mouth. (Ephesians 4:29)
4. Move Physically
Repositioning yourself
physically means moving from the place where you were living below your God-given
privileges to a place where you can enjoy them.
For example this might mean
shifting from an apartment you share with friends where you live a life of
debauchery that does not satisfy you, the way this Prodigal Son was
still hungry when he was living with the pigs, and moving to place where you
are not living with pigs, pimps, prostitutes and peddlers of drugs.
***
Change Your Garments Esther
When the Jews were threatened with annihilation, Queen Esther
was challenged by her mentor and uncle Mordecai to do something about the
situation.
Esther decided to fast for 3 days because she did not have an
appointment to see the king as he had not sent for her for 30 days and anyone
who went to see him uninvited faced instant death if he did not hold out his
golden scepter.
After her fast, Esther wore her royal robes (Esther
5:1) and went to stand in the inner court of the king's palace.
By removing the garments she wore in her quarters and wearing
her royal robes before going to the palace Esther symbolically reinstated
herself as Queen. She removed the victim mentality and put on a victor
mentality.
Therefore if you have been denied your rightful position in
life the way the king had not sent for Esther for 30 days, understand that you
have to change your garments from those that you wore in your "state of being
denied" and wear those that are fitting for the position you want to
regain.
For example if you were a bank manager and you lost your job
unfairly, if you want to take back you position as a bank manager you have to
remove the clothes you wore at home moping and wear "bank manager
suits".
In addition to changing your outer garments, you also have to
position yourself strategically the way
Esther positioned herself in the inner courts of the palace. This means that
you have to go to the place where you are best able to solve your problems regardless
of whether your strategic position is a court of law or another job recruitment
agency.
Understand also that this changing of your outer garments or
clothing has to be combined with changing your inner garments or attitude.
Therefore emulate Esther for she also had to change her
thinking from "Going to see the king uninvited is too dangerous because of
the law of the golden scepter" (Esther 4:11) to "I will go
to see the king uninvited and if I perish, I perish." (Esther
4:16)
To replace the fearful thoughts that may try to hold you
back, go through your Bible and find scriptures that fill you with courage
like I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians
4:13)
***
Change Your
Garments Family
When Jacob's daughter Dinah was defiled by Prince Shechem,
her brothers tricked all the men of that city to get circumcised.
As the men were wallowing in pain, Dinah's two brothers
Simeon and Levi, went and killed all the men. They also took their
sheep, oxen, donkeys and all their wealth. They even captured their wives and
children.
Jacob became concerned that the other inhabitants of the land
would join forces and destroy him and his family. (Genesis 34) God
then told him to go and live in Bethel and make an altar there for
God." (Genesis 35:1)
In preparation for this journey to Bethel which would involve
travelling through places populated by people who hated him and his sons, Jacob
told his household to, "Put away the foreign gods, purify yourselves
and change your garments." (Genesis 35:2)
Jacob realized that in order to save his family, they had to
purify themselves by not worshiping other gods and changing their garments.
This change of garments would symbolize parting with their
old evil ways and making a new beginning.
The members of his household then gave him all the foreign
gods they had in their hands and they removed the earrings in their ears and he
buried them in Shechem before they left. (Genesis 35:4)
God blessed their changes for the terror of God came upon the
cities that were around them and they did not pursue them as they journeyed.
Jacob and all his family therefore arrived safely at Luz (Bethel).
So, if your life is in danger and you need God's protection
the way Jacob needed it, you have to change your spiritual and physical
garments.
To change your spiritual garments, stop doing what God
forbids in the Bible. For example you can start with the first
commandment You shall not have other gods (Exodus 20:3) and
spiritually remove all false gods from your life by not praying to them or
worshiping them or serving them.
After your have changed your spiritual garments, change
your physical ones to symbolize your spiritual changes the way Jacob's family
removed their earrings. So, remove all the amulets, earrings, chains,
T-shirts and anything else you wear to symbolize your allegiance to false gods.
After changing the spiritual and physical garments that
pertain to the first commandment, work your way down to the 10th
commandment to ensure you obey all the other commandments.
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