CHOOSE WHAT YOU WEAR
Opening Prayer
These verses can feel like a tall order. Ask for God’s help, moment by moment, to walk in love, patience, and forgiveness with all in your path.
Read COLOSSIANS 3:12-17
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
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Reflect
What clothes do you put on when you really want to impress? What do you wear when all that pressure is off and you can just relax? Do you have some favorite clothes? How do they make you feel?Christians should all look alike: compassionate, kind, humble, gentle and patient (v 12). The family resemblance should be striking. We are all children of the same Father. We have all experienced his love and forgiveness. So we should love and forgive each other (see 1 John 4:19–21).
Whenever this happens, it is a miracle of God’s grace and evidence of his work in our lives, both individually and as a church family. There will be grievances to forgive. That is a fact of life this side of heaven. How we respond is the issue. Paul’s antidote to resentment is gratitude and praise, teaching and admonition. We need to work together on this project of transformation.
But this is not just about hard graft. The words love, peace and gratitude season this passage. This is truly a labor of love, as God works in and through us to change us and to change the world. Whatever we do, it is in his name. Paul urges us to make it the right stuff!
Apply
What spiritual outfit will you put on today? For whom are you dressing? What will ‘bind it all together’ (v 14)? Does it look as good as you hoped? There is still time to get changed if you need to!
Closing prayer
Mighty God, my prayer today is that you will transform me so that my life will demonstrate the difference that Jesus Christ can make in a life.
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