4300 Somerton Road Trevose, PA 19053 | 215-639-4330
Dr. Samuel Proctor, one the great preachers, theologians and scholars of the last century tells of this story while pastoring in Harlem. “Occasionally, one of Harlem’s major drug merchants would slip into our church and leave burdened with guilt. He had been reared in the south by a loving and believing mother, as well as a praying and shouting grandmother. The sermon, the hymns, the stained glass windows, and the atmosphere of expectancy and hope that pervaded the sanctuary made him sweat and tremble. The war going on within him called for a surrender, a victory, or some kind of truce.
He sent large contributions to the church anonymously in the form of postal money orders and cashier’s checks. We wondered where this big money came from, and we held it in an escrow account until we could find the source. After a few months, he showed up in person wearing fine jewelry, designer boots, and expensive jeans and driving a luxury European sedan. He made it clear that he was the one who had sent the money and described his visits to our services. Jewelry and boots to the contrary, he was clothed in guilt and shame.”
We are often clothed in fine clothes, beautiful jewelry, and expensive shoes. All are outward adornments that cover our guilt and shame. We are putting on the masquerade while we are hurting on the inside. Instead of being clothed in God’s love, peace and joy, we settle for guilt and shame. This is not what God wants for us. We can choose to put on his goodness, put on his gentleness, put on his righteousness, put on his kindness, put on his peace and put on his love. He wants us to live life and live it more abundantly. Today, let us choose to put on clothes of God.