Our Scripture today is Colossians 3:12-16 … Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. (NLT) In several places throughout Scripture, God used the concept of putting on His qualities just like we choose to put on clothing. The practical side of this is, one, we choose to put on what we wear, and two, that is the majority of what people see on us, our clothing. The same can be true of His qualities.
What we may choose to quote-unquote wear from our past can still show in the present. People can literally see our hurts, pain, victimization, bitterness, and so on. There comes a point when we have to choose a new wardrobe and let people see the person Christ has forgiven and changed. The past is no longer our present and the future is no longer determined by anything, except the present.
Listen to this passage in The Message Bible … So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives.
What have you been wearing that you need to take off and throw away? It’s worn out and old and you know it. What once may have been a security blanket is now a funeral shroud.
What of Christ’s qualities listed in today’s passage, do you need to put on and keep on?
If you choose peace in your heart, it will surely show in your life.
Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, today, I choose to put on love, humility, compassion, kindness, strength, and peace. As above, so below.”