“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” – Colossians 3:12-14
I live in an active household. I have three daughters who are part of many extracurricular activities. On any given night, we might have practice in the theatre, dance practice, or a softball game. Our schedule stays busy. One of the challenges to all these hobbies is keeping all the uniforms, shoes, helmets, costumes, and bags together. We spend a significant amount of time keeping everyone dressed in the proper uniforms. It takes a lot of time and effort to keep all the clothing cleaned, organized and ready for when it is needed.
It takes intentional effort to have everyone dressed and ready for their events. In much the same way, our faith requires great intentionality. When writing the letter of Colossians, the Apostle Paul draws on the image of getting dressed to explain our faith. Paul wanted the faithful to understand that we “put on” the things of Christ.
When we study the life of Jesus, we understand the important attributes of his actions; we see the importance of compassion, kindness, and forgiveness. We also understand that these characteristics become part of our life when we choose to act in the same way. We become kind when we act kindly to others. It is much like putting on the right uniform for the day.
As God’s people, we are reminded that each day, each hour, each minute, we must put on the right clothing. We are asked to clothe ourselves with “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Once we have dressed ourselves, we then put “love” over each of these. This is our daily task. Wearing the proper clothing allows us to bless others. It allows us to share God with the world.
– Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
