https://odb.org/2023/10/09/slow-fashioned-grace
Have you ever bought a genuine Polo Ralph Lauren shirt or t-shirt? I bought one at a factory outlet at a significant discount 15 years back in Sydney during a company trip. Recently, in my family trip to Melbourne, I dropped by a Ralph Lauren factory outlet and saw the same shirt there! The thing about Ralph Lauren is that their fashion remains the same throughout the years and seasons. There are definitely changes in terms of colours and materials, but they are slow and gradual. This means that a Ralph Lauren shirt bought years back will not go out of fashion today.
That reminds me of Jesus and God as they are the same yesterday, today, and in the days to come. The LORD of the Old Testament is the same God of the New Testament.
The second thing about the slow fashion of Ralph Lauren, as highlighted in today’s ODB, is that it reflects Jesus’s grace and the transformation power of the Holy Spirit. When God works in our lives, if we let Him, it also takes time. Change comes over months and years. It is never forced or make-believe. Genuine change takes time, and it becomes second nature, part of our life and personality and character. Over time, we have become our new self, a self sanctified by the blood of Christ and refined and purified by the Holy Spirit. We are spiritually empowered with authority in the spiritual realm. While we were selfish in the past, we are more selfless now. We are able to forgive and love our neighbours more than before, much more than in the past. Our tolerance for wrongs towards us is much higher. We have now come to terms with our destiny in Christ. Our dreams and ambitions are now alligned with God’s plans and purposes for our lives. We are actively pursuing good works and storing up riches in heaven where rust and moth can not destroy or the thief is not able to steal. Our inheritance in the Kingdom of God is intact, and one day, we will get our crown of glory from our Lord Jesus Christ!
Keep up the good work and continue on this path of righteousness. Continue to allow God to mould and transform us. One day, we will indeed be like Christ!
Ronnie's Thoughts 