Living "Inside Out"

In Psalm 24, we see verses that speak to the importance of possessing a pure heart before God:
3Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place?4He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.5He shall receive blessing from the Lord, And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

The only way that our hearts can truly be right before God is through a relationship with the living Lord.  Through salvation, made possible by Jesus and His death on a cross and His resurrection to new lie, can we completely experience the power of a new life.  God will truly transform our lives - He will cleanse us on the inside, and that will give us the power to live a life on the outside the displays the reality of His presence.   He gives us a new nature, He makes us new creations, and He will provide the power to live the life consistent with His principles and communicating His presence.

In Ezekiel 36, we find these words highlighting God's promises to His people, which can serve to remind us of how He will place a new heart within us - He does it through the presence of Jesus Christ:
25Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.26I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.27I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

There he was, entering the press conference room following the Washington Redskins' victory over Jacksonville this past weekend.   He has been regarded as one of the NFL's brightest stars, who has been held back by injury, and in fact was on crutches as he showed up to address the media, having suffered injury in Sunday's game.

Robert Griffin III was also wearing a t-shirt that has attracted attention.  In large letters, the shirt contained the message, "Know Jesus, Know Peace," which offers a play on words, in that the letters "K" and "W" are black, while the others are white, so the message could also read, "No (N-O) Jesus, No Peace."   It's a message that we can all take to heart, and one that has been particularly meaningful in RG3's life.

Well, Fox News reports that Michael Phillips, a reporter from The Richmond Times-Dispatch, posted on Twitter that an NFL uniform inspector made the quarterback turn the shirt inside out.  Phillips said that the reason was that it was not a Nike product.

CSN Washington reported that a Redskins spokesperson denied reports that RG3 was forced to flip the shirt by the NFL. The spokesperson said Griffin flipped the shirt on his own to avoid a possible fine. CSN cites NFL bylaws that state a player cannot wear clothing that sends a personal message on game days. Griffin has reportedly been fined in the past for wearing Adidas gear on game days.

Other players, however, were seen at the podium not wearing a Nike shirt, including Redskins linebacker Ryan Kerrigan. Nike reportedly has a corporate deal with the NFL.

We may not get the whole story about what actually happened that day.  I do think I would have liked to have seen Griffin wear the shirt in the proper manner in the press conference, even if it meant it he would have been fined.  But, I can respect his position that he perhaps he wanted to play by the rules. And, perhaps he didn't want the shirt to become a distraction.   It was all in the heat of the moment.

But, it's not about the shirt.  I think about a Michael W. Smith song from his album, "Change Your World," called, "Cross of Gold."  Here are some of the lyrics (from New Release Tuesday):

The chorus says:
What's your line
Tell me why you wear your cross of gold
State of mind
Or does it find a way into your soul?

And, the bridge:
For some it's simply something to wear around your neck
Just a chain
Jewelry
Is it decoration?
Is it an icon
Or proclamation?
An icon of what?
What?
For some it's simply something to wear around your neck
Just a chain
It means a lot more than that to me

It's not about the shirt or the jewelry - those can communicate a message, but if your life doesn't line up, then you come off looking inconsistent.

After RG3 won the Heisman Trophy, Christian commentator Jim Denison wrote this:

Robert Griffin is known on the Baylor campus for his faith as well as his football skills. He attends University Baptist Church, where my oldest son attended worship while a student at Baylor and Truett Seminary. God has entrusted him with a unique combination of outstanding intellect, NFL-quality ability, and world-class speed. And he has been an excellent steward of his gifts.

RG3's Twitter page has this statement, "I have no Religion. I have a relationship with God. Live your life so it doesnt live you".   He also has the reference Jeremiah 29:11.

I think we probably should be less concerned about whether or not RG3 turned his shirt inside out, and instead think about the importance of living "inside out."   RG3 may have had the Jesus message inside his t-shirt, but there is evidence that the presence of Christ is inside, and you would hope that the people with whom he interacts would experience that.  After all, in an NFL that has had its share of bad actors come forth lately, the reality of Christians living their life to the glory of God would be a refreshing contrast.

So, it's not the clothes or adornments you wear, but how you wear the presence of the living Christ that is truly important.   If He lives inside you, then we can be challenged to display the evidence of His nature in the way we live our lives.   We can be a living testimony of the reality of the risen Lord.