What Clothes Are You Wearing? … Hello Weekend readers. My musings on clothing sounds a bit weird, but it goes together with Palm Sunday, which happens tomorrow in case you forgot. Maybe when you were a kid, your clothes for Sunday were not jeans and a T-shirt. For us, patent leather shiny shoes, a dress and a hat. I hated hats, still do, but if we didn’t have one my paternal grandma would put a doily on our heads. She believed women’s heads had to be covered so Mom got us cool hats! They didn’t fit my grandma’s idea, but she finally acquiesced and left the doilies at home-yay.

I want to share a story about “clothes” and it dates back to George Washington Carver! This scientist who developed hundreds of useful products from the peanut, once said, “When I was young, I said to God, ‘God, tell me the mystery of the universe.’ But God answered, ‘That knowledge is reserved for me alone.’” So I said, ‘God, tell me the mystery of the peanut.’ Then God said, ‘Well, George, that’s more nearly your size.’ And He told me all about peanuts.” That’s when I realized that humility had to be a part of my life. Without it, God cannot work through the talents he gave me.”

Humility is a struggle for everyone—which is probably why the authors of Scripture spill so much ink talking about it. The Bible talks about humility literally hundreds of times. Why? Because it’s one of the main ways we can imitate God. What do you think is the clearest picture of humility we see in the Bible? JESUS! His example of humility was like no other. Think about it: Jesus left His heavenly throne and came to earth as a lowly servant. How’s that for a king! No other king in the world would be that humble.

Tomorrow we see Jesus’ full stance about being humble. First, he rides on a donkey, no gorgeous stallion with a cushy saddle–just a lowly donkey. I think that donkey knew he got the prize to be able to carry his Savior. Who knows, maybe he was the donkey that Mary rode on to Bethlehem with Jesus in her womb? Just a thought, but let me tell you something about a donkey—they are often associated with humility due to their hardworking, patient, and submissive nature, as well as their historical portrayal in religious texts as symbols of service and peace. We could learn a lot from a donkey!

In Proverbs 3:34, we are taught to be humble: “God treats the arrogant as they treat others, mocking the mockers, scorning the scornful, but He pours out His grace on the humble.”  In 1 Peter 5:5 we learn: “You who are younger. Follow the lead of those who are older. All of you, put on a spirit free of pride toward one another. Put it on as if it were your clothes.”  *Both Scriptures are from the Voice Translation

These Scriptures don’t just tell us to “Be humble.” It also says that your humility should show through in everything you do. That doesn’t mean you put yourself down; it simply means you think of others first. Think of Jesus, he knew what would happen on Palm Sunday. People would shout praises of “Hosanna” but we all know the outcome. Within the week, the same people who praised him said “crucify Him.” Why? Two things: 1) They wanted Jesus to declare Himself to be their king, who would lead a revolt against the Romans. 2) Their hearts had grown spiritually cold. Jesus had been with them three years, performing miracles and teaching them the truth about God. What more evidence did they need that He was the Savior? But, for them, they didn’t want a humble king.

So, on this Palm Sunday, how will you “clothe yourself?” Will it be flashy or humble? It’s when we drop all the pretenses, and let our humility shine through that we are like Jesus. And when we do, we show others a clearer picture of what Jesus is like as well. I pray, “Oh Lord, give us a humble spirit in all we do.” AMEN.