I was reading in Ephesians 5 today about putting on the armor of God (as part of Day 79 in Beth Moore's Paul: 90 Days on His Journey of Faith) and I got tickled with the word picture that came to mind with verse 14 "Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist...." OK, so I know Paul couldn't have had any foreknowledge about our culture's saggy pants epidemic but doesn't it fit? You don't tighten your belt (or heaven's forbid, don't wear one), then you end up showing a little bit more than the rest of us want or need to see. As we put on the belt of truth, others see of us what is wholesome and good and uplifting. When we don't and our lies are revealed, it's like we're standing there with our pants down.

I did a quick google search of 'sagging pants' images and, trust me, there are a lot out there. But I chose this one because of the statement: We are better than this. Yes, we have been saved from eternal death and, in response, we can live better than this. Honestly, I prefer to not see anybody's underwear when they're walking down the street but what upsets me and disappoints me more is a lack of moral integrity that compromises truth for convenience or self-promotion.

I'd like to think I'm a truth-teller because of my relationship with Jesus Christ -- who is the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life -- but I realize that I still need to put on the belt of Truth so that I can "live free of secreat areas of hypocrisy" because "Satan loves to blackmail believers who have a secret they want to keep" (BM, p. 375).