Lent Day 11–A Garanimals Life

Yes, I’m a product of the 1970s.  Probably not the proudest era of American history—a generation of big hair, disco, and leisure suits.  But one thing came out of the 1970s that I think about a lot: Garanimals.

For those of you who are “1970s challenged” or too young to have experienced that decade in all its superficiality, Garanimals arrived on the clothing scene to help children figure out what to wear.  You match the animal of the shirt with the animal of the pants and voila!  You have a matching outfit.

What does this have to do with walking in the Way of Holiness, you ask?  Well, today’s passage reads like a Garanimals outfit.  We are not to outfit ourselves with mismatched lives.

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?  What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?  What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” 2 Corinthians 6:14-16

Basically, it’s an issue of integrity.  When we claim to follow Jesus Christ, we cannot live part of our day as Christians and the other part of our day as little devils.  We cannot dress our character in our Sunday best…on Sundays; and the rest of the week, go for the grunge look.  Our hearts—where God dwells by His Holy Spirit—always need to be whole.  The condition of our heart is revealed by what inevitably shows on the surface.  It is displayed in our character every moment from one day to the next.

 “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”  “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”  Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. Corinthians 6:17-7:1

It doesn’t mean we need to be perfectionists, but we need to have a Garanimals life.  We cannot have mismatched character or integrity—we need to be clothed in Christ from top to bottom as we walk on the Way of Holiness.