The uniform

Friends,

In a ballgame, how do you know who is on your team?
In a battle, how do you distinguish between friend and foe?
When school children are all dressed alike, what does that tell you?

The uniform identifies us as belonging to a group. In some ways, a uniform helps even to define us to ourselves and to others. Think back to when you were a child and "dressed up." Putting on a tiara didn't change you from a little girl into a queen, but in the mirror you saw royalty. Tying a cape around your shoulders couldn't make you fly, but that didn't stop you from believing you were now a superhero, ready to vanquish evil wherever it raised its ugly head.

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,
My soul shall be joyful in my God;
For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Isaiah 61:10 [NKJV]

We may look around and see nothing different about our fellow believer and question whether they are even part of the Kingdom. And there may come a time when we won't believe that even we have been adopted into His family.

But, the LORD sees the robes of righteousness and knows that we belong to Him. He has placed those robes upon us and marked us as His sons and daughters. It is for us to believe in Jesus' work of grace, and to trust that He will completely form us into His image of righteousness.

Be encouraged, Jose