Religious Education

Shopping Haven or Heaven?

What does putting on Christ look like?

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Family altar

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2 min read

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Recall the last time you went shopping for clothes? Did you like it?

Sometimes, shopping can be a very troublesome task. It can be a real challenge searching high and low for comfortable clothes of the right size and colour.

What about shopping for clothes in the Bible? Let’s take a little “tour” through God’s clothing store.

Outfit #1 - Splendour

Psalm 45:3 - “In Your splendour and majesty”

This doesn’t mean buying fancy dresses or tuxedos. This means wearing the joy of being loved by God. When we belong to Jesus, we shine from the inside out.

Outfit #2 - Strength

Isaiah 52:1 - "Clothe yourself in your strength”

These clothes don’t rip or fade. Jesus is our strength that lasts forever. When we feel tired or scared, we must “wear” His strength.

Outfit #3 - Goodness

Colossians 3:12 - "put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience"

These are outfits that never go out of style. When we treat others with nothing but goodness, we show them what Jesus is like so that they will want to "dress" like us.

Outfit #4 - Humility

1 Peter 5:5 - “clothe yourselves with humility”

These outfits don't sparkle or shout for attention. They remind us that we all make mistakes and need God’s forgiveness. Being humble means remembering that we are who we are only because of God.

Jesus Paid the Price

At the end of any shopping spree, someone has to make the final payment. These clothes? They’re priceless. We could never afford them on our own. Jesus foot the whole bill with His life so that we know we are always well taken care of. So, how well-stocked are our closets?

Family Altar

Use these discussion questions and our prayer as a guide for your family altar.

Parents can lead the prayer and invite their children to repeat after them or encourage their children to take the lead, making family altar time a shared journey of faith.

Discussion Questions:

  • Which of God’s “outfits” do you want to wear more often—splendour, strength, goodness, or humility? Why?

  • What do you think it means to “wear” splendour, strength, goodness, or humility at school and at home?

  • Why is it important that Jesus paid the price for all these “clothes”?

Prayer in Words:

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray.

Thank You for giving us the most special clothes in the world—Your love, Your mercy, and Your righteousness.

Remind us to “wear” Your goodness everyday and in every possible way.

Thank You for paying the full price so we can belong to You.

Hallelujah, Amen.

See Also

Romans Chapter 2 - Mirror Mirror On the Wall

Romans Chapter 2 - Mirror Mirror On the Wall

There is a colleague in my office.  He can spot the flaw in every one else - except the one in the mirror. Let's call him Rick.  Rick was the kind of guy who could tell you what was wrong with your plan while not coming up with anything new.  He critique's everyone's work - except his own.  If someone was late to a meeting, it was disrespectful.  But when Rick was late?  "Traffic!" of course! We all know of a Rick. Some of us are Rick, on Tuesdays. Paul, in Romans 2, had something to say about this. “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things” (Romans 2:1, NIV). It’s as if God holds up a mirror—not to shame us, but to show us. He’s not asking for guilt-trips or self-loathing. He’s simply saying: Take a look. A real one. No filters. No excuses. Just truth. And here’s the kicker: God doesn’t hold up a mirror to mock you. He holds it up to free you. We judge others by actions, but we want to be judged by intentions. I snap at my wife and say, “Sorry, long day.” But when someone snaps at me? “Well, someone skipped their morning prayers.” We excuse ourselves with grace, but hand out judgment like a judge on Britain's Got Talent. Romans 2 says that when we judge, we condemn ourselves because we’re doing the same things — just maybe not as loudly. It reminds me of the time my daughter caught me sneaking a Coke Zero after telling that it's not good for her. “Is that a can of Coke in your mouth, Father?” she asked, eyebrows raised. “It's just that I am thirsty,” I mumbled sheepishly. Caught. Mirror, meet Father. God asks us to be perfect. He also asks us to be honest. He knows that judging others builds walls, but examining ourselves builds bridges.  God wants us to act differently.  One where we lose the lecture and speak with love.  One where we choose humility over hypocrisy. One where we admit that sometimes the biggest work God needs to do isn’t in them — it’s in me. When we read Romans 2:1-3, let us not look at it as if it is a finger pointing at you.  Look at it as if it's a hand reaching toward you. God’s kindness doesn’t expose to shame you — it exposes to save you.  He doesn’t bring truth to rub it in, but to rub it out.  And when we stop trying to fix everyone else and start letting Him fix us? That’s when the real miracle begins. So next time you’re tempted to judge someone else’s mess, remember this: You might be looking through a window. But God is holding up a mirror. And hopefully and thankfully, in that mirror, He sees not just what’s wrong — but what He’s making right.

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