Change Your Underwear by Carolyn Tucker

Keys to the Kingdom

 

In my later teen years at home, my parents would usually “call it a night” before I did. Like clockwork, they would straighten up the living room before heading off to bed. It was their nightly routine to put everything in its place. One time Mom explained their tradition: “Back in the day, we always cleaned the living room before going to bed in case the doctor had to come in the night.” That made good sense to me because it was a good habit and good habits should continue even if the reason for them is out of style. That’s why I can join a few others in saying, “I’m from the old school.“ Another rule I learned was to always wear clean underwear in case you’re in a car wreck.

Generally speaking, nobody sees your underwear because it’s hiding beneath your outer clothing. You’re the only person who knows whether your undies are clean, worn-out, uncomfortable, or stink. Spiritually speaking, what’s on the outside is just a façade, but what’s on the inside (hiding) is the real thing. “As I think in my heart [which is underneath and hidden] so am I“ (Proverbs 23:7). Believers need to be careful of the temptation to harbor negative undercurrents in their mind and heart. Bad attitudes are sure to show up in your conversations, facial expressions, and actions. Although you try, you can’t hide what’s on the inside because it comes out involuntarily. King David wrote: “He [God] knows the secrets of every heart” (Psalm 44:21 NLT).

Everyday we have the choice to wear dirty or clean underwear. The Apostle Paul tells us that believers have the choice to put on Jesus or leave Him in the closet. “Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don‘t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires“ (Romans 13:14 NLT). If you’re so busy with going here and there, and doing this and that, you may not even be able to find Jesus to put Him on. If your closet of life is cluttered with stuff, Jesus will just continue to hang around waiting to be worn.

I enjoy going through drawers, cabinets, and closets to throw out stuff that serves no purpose. Christians have to do the same thing spiritually. “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from Him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God — truly righteous and holy” (Ephesians 4:21-24 NLT). You have to take off something old in order to put on something new. It would be dumb for someone to put clean underwear on over the top of dirty ones. (If brains were gasoline, she couldn’t ride a moped around a fruit loop!)

A baby is coddled and bottled and that’s sweet. But if a Christian is expecting God to do everything for him/her, that stinks. God has His part and we have our part. Paul says believers are to “put on our new nature.” By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are to dress ourselves with the presence of Jesus every day — one size fits all.

The Key: Beware! If your underwear stinks, then you’re the one to change it.

14 thoughts on “Change Your Underwear by Carolyn Tucker”

  1. My father was born in Ireland and it was called ‘closing up the house’ making sure everything was tidy no dirty dishes,floors swept & mopped everything lol he also held true to keeping spiritually clean of heart and mind.

    1. Amen
      My foster mom told me the something. I also had to straighten up the house before bed. Because we was it sure if we would get a new kid drop off. Sometimes they would come by and pick kids up. That wasn’t NO fun. But God got me through that.
      Every Night I would ask God why don’t my parents love me. He didn’t know but he give me NEW parents. I sure did love them. They taught me everything I know today.
      So Thank you God for my parents I love them very much.

    1. Excellent devotional by the author; one that should be “copy and pasted” and put in the Notes Section of our phones, or on our desks, to serve as a powerful spiritual checkup at least one a month!

      True words of wisdom!! Thank you!

  2. You said the options were to wear clean or dirty underwear. There is a third option….no underwear.
    Advantages:
    -less laundry to do
    -faster dressing, undressing, changing clothes.
    -no worry about dirty underwear

  3. My mother told me the very same thing! She said we must keep the house clean, because we never know when Jesus would knock on the door for a visit!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *