The belt...

"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist..."

Ephesians 6:14a

You know, this is going to probably incite a little laughter.  But I have to tell you that the only thing that comes to mind from a modern-day example of this particular verse is the gentleman who went a popular reality show and began to sing/rap about how foolish people appear when their pants are "on the ground."  I don't recall whether or not he made the statement that people need a belt, but the obvious implication is that they do... otherwise, their pants would remain at the waist, where they belong.

To add to that, I know that everyone has seen the dream sequence within almost any show or movie you could name where someone goes to school or work (in the dream) either missing clothing of some sort or not wearing the proper clothing to cover certain areas.  The common theme is embarrassment, and we all awaken to the gratitude of being only in our beds, not in front of anyone, and then we double and triple check our clothes before we leave the house.  Walking around with our "pants on the ground" is viewed as a bad thing in these dreams and thoughts, just as it was for the aforementioned gentleman.

So if we get real and dig down deep into this concept, why would you not just put the belt on, and buckle it tightly?  Why would you leave anything to chance?  When I was in high school, a popular prank was to "pants" someone, wherein you would yank their pants downward in a sudden and surprise fashion, exposing their undergarments for all to see.  The only way to avoid this was a belt, and we all learned to wear it.  Granted, these are just childhood pranks, but the application is real.

If you are struggling with something, the enemy may decide that a good idea for throwing you off kilter would be to "pants" you, forcing you to react.  The almost certain response is one of anger and loss of self-control, which then reduces or removes your witness and wisdom in the eyes of others.  How we handle the bad things in life determines for others who we really are, you know... so you have to be prepared, more than anything else, to be calm and collected and ready for any assault.  That means you probably need a belt, just in case.

Take a moment to check your belt today.  Is it firmly buckled and at your waist, where it should be?  Is it lifting and holding your clothing up as it should be?  Are you even wearing one at all today?  (And for those of you who do not wear a belt everyday, please extrapolate the metaphorical meaning here.)  Run your belt through every loop, and tighten it properly... this added security willl further embolden you against one small measure of attack, and you will honor the Lord in doing so!

God bless you all!!!