Casual Fridays

I enjoy casual Fridays.  The opportunity to step outside of the corporate uniform, apply personal preferences, and have variety is a good thing!  Occasionally I have seen the process abused, but historically this is a rare occurrence.  Historically this may be true, but not in our sister company here in Singapore.
It seems like anything can work!  Short, very short Aussie pants apparently are ok.  Baggy, ratty, baggy Capri length shorts for me are ok.  Even Polo shirts that do not make a overweight man’s waist line is acceptable.  Beat up flip-flops, skimpy dresses, beach attire all come out on display.  Somewhere along the way the mantra of professional attire was discarded. 
We will not be this kind of company.  The message is clear.  It may be old fashioned, but what we say and do matters!  We tell the story by everything that we are; externals, internals, attitudes, actions, choices, and words.  The message then and now is simple.  “Wake up, wake up!  Pull on your boots, Zion!  Dress up in your Sunday best, Jerusalem, holy city!  Those who want no part of God have been culled out.  They won't be coming along.”  (Isaiah 52.1) 
It is easy to slip into casual Friday, especially when it seems as if nobody is watching.  I am not worried about those on the outside.  I am fearful of the messages I tell myself about my soul.  Do I value my soul in the same way God does?  Do I understand the risks that threaten my existence?  Am I telling the story I believe to be true?
It is the latter that comes out most pragmatically when darkness arrives.  Our actions tell of our priorities.  Our choices tell of our values.  Our words tell of our hearts.  Everything is out on display, billboards to others curious about our journeys. 
Today is one of hanging out with family and friends.  It is a casual day!  It is also a time to tell of mercy, revel in compassion, and explore community.  Both can and do exist, in your life and mine.