美國緬因州是個鄉村氣息濃厚的地區，有兩名八歲男孩每個週三都穿著西裝去學校，從而打響了名聲。很快地，「盛裝星期三」成了大家最喜歡的日子，因其他同學和教職員也盛裝打扮。其中一個男孩詹姆斯喜歡聽到讚美，因為這讓他感到開心。盛裝星期三讓孩子們與眾不同，成為學校的驕傲。

我們的屬靈服裝也使我們與眾不同，表明我們是上帝的子民，並使我們的心歡喜快樂。先知以賽亞說：「我因耶和華大大歡喜，我的心靠上帝快樂。因祂以拯救為衣給我穿上，以公義為袍給我披上。好像新郎戴上華冠，又像新婦佩戴妝飾。」（以賽亞書61章10節）

當以色列人被擄時，他們屬靈與物質上的服裝都破舊不堪。先知以賽亞向他們講述一個充滿盼望的應許﹕上帝的靈會「賜給他們華冠代替灰塵，喜樂油代替悲哀，讚美衣代替沮喪的靈」（3節，新譯本）。

今天，上帝的子民也得到同樣的應許。耶穌說，藉著祂的靈我們可以穿上「從上頭來的能力」（路加福音24章49節）。基督為我們預備了「憐憫、恩慈、謙虛、溫柔、忍耐」為服飾（歌羅西書3章12節），穿上祂這套服裝，我們就能向世界反映出祂的愛。

Two eight-year-old boys in Maine—a rural American state—made their mark by wearing business suits to school on Wednesdays. Soon “Dapper Wednesdays” became a favorite day, as other classmates and school staff dressed up too. James, who launched the idea, loved hearing compliments. “It just made my heart feel really good.” Their Wednesday attire set the kids apart as proud students of their school.

Our spiritual clothing, which sets us apart as God’s own, gladdens our hearts too. “My soul rejoices in my God,” said Isaiah, “for he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isaiah 61:10).

As the Israelites went into exile, their clothing—spiritual and material—was threadbare and worn. Isaiah offered them a hopeful promise: God’s Spirit would “bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (v. 3).

The same promise rests on God’s people today. Jesus said that by His Spirit we would be “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). Christ provides us with a wardrobe of “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12). Clothed by Him, we reflect His love to the world.