Are We Safe If These Too was Assessed?

Matthew 3:4
John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

John the Baptist was a preacher. He preached about repentance since God’s kingdom was and still is at hand. He preached to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus. John the Baptist was a preacher. How do you assess a preacher?

We can assess a preacher by the sermon they preach, but that isn’t enough. We can assess a believer by the beliefs they hold, but that is not enough. If that isn’t enough, how else and what else do we assess?

The writers of Bible history were keen to report on John the Baptist’s preaching. However, they didn’t stop at recording his sermons and their impact. They were not satisfied at just reporting how many people were baptized. The inspired writers recorded his preferred dressing and diet.

The Holy Spirit inspired the writers to report how this great preacher was dressed. The Holy Spirit wanted us to know that John’s diet was also observed. John was not just assessed by how and what he preached but also by dress and diet. Are we safe if these too were assessed?

John 19:23-24
(23) When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
(24) “Let’s not tear it,” they said to one another. “Let’s decide by lot who will get it.”
This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled that said,
“They divided my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.”
So this is what the soldiers did.

Jesus our Master also had unique dressing. When he died, it is recorded for us to know, that soldiers shared Christ’s clothes and did not tear His unique seamless undergarment. If the clothes Jesus wore were noticed and recorded, would we who are His followers today treat dressing as a trivial matter? A matter that can’t get in the way of our mission? Are we safe if these too were assessed?

The world watches and takes note of the lifestyle of every believer and preacher. The world seeks to see how to live the kind of life we preach and believe in. The world seeks an example from us. Therefore, the world takes note of our dressing and even our diet. Are we safe if these too were assessed?

Does your dressing distract the faith you uphold? Does your dressing stand in the way of the gospel by being noticeable? The dressing is noticeable when it is too bad or too good, both are distracting. Would someone find grounds to be suspicious about you because of your dressing? Would your dressing be an excuse for someone to doubt what you believe or preach? Are we safe if our dressing became part of the assessment of our faith?

Proverbs 23:1-3
(1) When you sit to dine with a ruler,
note well what is before you,
(2) and put a knife to your throat
if you are given to gluttony.
(3) Do not crave his delicacies,
for that food is deceptive.

Would your eating habits be a mockery of your proclaimed and upheld beliefs? Does your appetite and aggressiveness in the presence of food or certain favorite foods expose your weakness and dilute your witnessing? What do your food and eating habits tell the world about you? How we eat/drink and what we eat/drink can positively or negatively affect our witnessing of Christ. Are we safe if our eating and drinking habits became part of the assessment of our faith?

Matthew 11:11
Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Luke 7:28
I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

John was a great preacher. In fact, Jesus observed that no one else was greater than John the Baptist. Yet this great man did not escape the assessment of his dressing and diet. Would we escape what the great did not escape? May God make us conscious enough to mind the gospel that matters and even the small matter of dressing and diet so that it doesn’t become an obstacle, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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