Colossians 3:12-14
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.
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
I have a serious allergy, so I
wear a medical alert bracelet any time I leave the house. I wouldn’t
dream of going away from home without this “allergy bracelet”…and the
two or three times that I have forgotten to wear it, I felt almost
naked. Last year on my birthday, my cousin gave me a slender leather
bracelet that is stamped with the words, “only love today.” This is
supposed to remind me that love is what really matters. Again, I rarely
leave home without wearing this bracelet, either.
As for
“all-purpose garments,” we probably all have one or two favorite items
in our closet. But on any given day, our attire can send completely
different signals to the world. When we are “dressed to the nines,”
people may think we are either 1) going somewhere fancy; or 2) “putting
on airs”…when in fact, we just felt like dressing up – or we felt that a
nicer outfit boosted our mood. If we are dressed in shabby clothing,
people may mistakenly decide that we cannot afford nice clothing…or that
we don’t care about our appearance…when all we had in mind was working
in the yard or cleaning our house! Our “garments” and appearance say a
lot about us…and not always what we intended!
I will admit that I
often spend too much time trying to figure out what to wear. I heard
evangelist Joyce Meyer talk about this once, and she said she very
clearly heard God say to her, “Oh, good grief, Joyce…just put on
something and GO!” This has resonated with me…particularly in light of
this scripture passage.
If what we choose to “put on and GO” is
God’s love, we will never be dressed improperly. If we remember to put
on the “hats, scarves, bracelets and earrings,” of compassion, kindness,
humility, quiet strength, discipline, even-temperedness, contentment
and forgiveness, we will always be in style and ready for anything.
When
people look at us and see these characteristics that clearly define the
life of Jesus Christ…they actually see Him - through us. Isn’t that
our goal? Don’t you think it should be?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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