What Would Your “Spiritual” T-Shirt Say?
by Shirley D. Tingle
I think it’s safe to say that as Americans, we all have tons of T-shirts. We just can’t seem to resist them. For one thing, they’re comfortable, and for me, comfort is key. For another thing, the sayings and logos on T-shirts are real selling points, making them into iconic everyday fashion, or even to the extreme, collectibles. Here’s a partial list of some of my “collection:” I have two “Lakeview Warriors” T-shirts; four “Chattanooga” T-shirts; three “Ft. Oglethorpe” T-shirts; one that says, “Quint’s Shark Fishing, est. 1975;” two from Panama City Beach, Florida; two from the Bahamas; one with a big shark on it; one with “The Scream,” by Edvard Munch; a “Meet the Beatles” T-shirt; one that says, “Klaatu, Barada Nikto,” two or three tie-dye T-shirts, a couple of Savannah shirts, and so many others! At this point you may be asking these questions: Are you crazy? Don’t you think some of these are a little bit silly for someone your age to be wearing?
Well, remember, as I said, comfort is key. And most of these shirts are worn at home anyway. But you can be sure that I like them because they’re either colorful, amusing, or entertaining in some way. I don’t think any of my T-shirts would incite someone to start a nuclear war, cause a war of words, or even cause anyone to be offended. I’d never want to do that!
I’ve seen many T-shirts; however, that make me cringe, and want to look the other way. Some T-shirts express some harsh feelings and some super foul language. You’ve got to wonder if the wearers are mad at the world, are haters of everything and everybody, or are just always completely negative. Maybe some just want to be seen or heard by someone—anyone. Negative attention is still attention. Or, maybe they need a conversation starter just to have someone to talk to. Or maybe they just need a hug. Sometimes it’s the negative that gets all the attention, sparking resentment and rhetoric about people’s “rights.” My mother always said that my rights end where the other person’s nose begins, which I took to mean that I wasn’t supposed to get into fisticuffs with anyone. Well, in today’s litigious society, what’s displayed on the front of a T-shirt could really push the limits of the First Amendment. Someone, a judge no doubt, would have to decide as to the vulgarity, profaneness, or irreverence of the words and/or graphics displayed on a T-shirt and consider the circumstances, situation, and audience for such a T-shirt, as to whether said T-shirt is allowable in certain venues. Unfortunately, in today’s world, it’s the law of the land that decides these things, and not the law of God. Maybe we can
help to change that someday. I know there are lots of better things to do in this world than to argue over T-shirts!
But if you could design a “spiritual” T-shirt, what would it say on the front? Would it say something like: “I can’t attend church services, I’m too busy doing important stuff.” Or would it say: “I know what the Bible says, but I like to pick and choose the parts that I want to obey.” Or, “Everyone’s going to Heaven anyway, so I’ll just live my life the way I want to.” Or would it say: “Sunday—what a great day to sleep in!” Well, I hope those wouldn’t appear on any “spiritual” T-shirts of those of us who call ourselves Christians. But maybe it could say this: “But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD,” Joshua 24:15b, KJV. Or, perhaps it would say, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD,” Psalm 121:1, KJV.
As Christians, we could design our “spiritual” T-shirts with many other verses about serving God. We’d need to pick a size, a color, and then pick a Bible verse to be printed on the front of the shirt. I found some wonderful scripture choices we could use on our T-shirts which I borrowed from www.openbible.info, titled, “What Does the Bible Say About Serving God?” Here’s part of the list: I Samuel 12:24, Colossians 3:23-24, I Corinthians 15:58, Romans 12:1, Romans 12:10-11, Romans 6:16, Colossians 3:17, I Timothy 4:12, Galatians 6:9, and Matthew 6:33. Please grab your Bible and read all these wonderful verses about serving God and decide what you’d want to be on your “spiritual” T-shirt.
There are so many other scriptures to use, so large a supply that we’d have quite a multitude of “spiritual” T-shirts. But maybe we don’t need a T-shirt to show others that we love God and that we’re Christians who worship and serve Him. If we’re letting our “lights” shine, showing love and care for others, teaching others about Jesus Christ and how to be saved, and truly being servants of God, it’ll be clearly seen, with or without a T-shirt to announce it.
God is love. God loves everyone. God wants everyone to be saved. He loves us so much that He gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins, and to redeem us back to Him if we are obedient to the gospel. And if I were getting a “spiritual” T-shirt on the Day of Judgment, the message I’d want to see on the front of my “spiritual” T-shirt on that day would be these words, “Well done, good and faithful servant…enter thou into the joy of thy lord,” Matthew 25:23, KJV. Just the right message, just the right size, just the right color, just the righteous—for all eternity in Heaven.