Perhaps you may know that each of the various tribes of Indians in this country has its own style of dress which distinguishes it from all others. Since most of the Indians living on reservations are very poor, new clothing is scarce among them. They wear their tribal garments until they are indeed "filthy rags."
The Navajos, a tribe living in the western part of the United States, are among the proudest of this proud race, and they seem to cling closest to their tribal ways and beliefs. Indeed, so firmly do they hold to the thoughts and superstitions of their ancestors that it has been difficult for missionaries to bring Christ before them.
A very effective way to reach these darkened hearts is through the children in the schools. To this end, some women teachers whose lives are devoted to the Savior use every opportunity to tell them of Him who so loves them. Many are the kindly acts of these true missionaries for the Lord, as they seek to live Christ before them.
One of these teachers gave a Navajo girl some nice new clothes, such as are worn by young ladies in the cities. She received them with many thanks, and seemed delighted to have them on; but when she went home, she took them off.
Next day, when she came again to the school, they were surprised to see her dressed in her old, ragged clothes. They told her they were too ragged and dirty to be respectable, and that if she came to their school she must wear the clothes that had been given her.
She went away, and before long returned with the new clothes on; but she had put the dirty old ones over them! The teachers then told her that, if she wished to continue wearing the old ones, she must wash them. But this she refused to do.
The ladies tried to persuade her to change her old clothes for the new ones which they had given her. But she became quite haughty and went away, evidently feeling that she had been much insulted.
Perhaps this Navajo girl, and many others of her tribe, consider the native style of dress so superior to any other that they prefer their own clothing, even when filthy and in rags.
Unsaved friend, is this a picture of your heart? Do you cling to its "filthy rags" of self-righteousness even though God offers you a perfect robe of divine righteousness?
Many would readily have assented if the Bible had said that all our "Unrighteousnesses" are as filthy rags. But it says all our "righteousnesses" are like these repulsive things. "We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." Isa. 64:66But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (Isaiah 64:6).
Do you realize this? Do you own that all the things you have thought were good about you are filthy rags in God's sight? He, the thrice holy God, cannot look upon sin: and the Word says that all unrighteousness is sin. Christ Himself is the believer's robe of righteousness, provided by Him in the blood of His cross.