‘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. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.’ Colossians 3:12-174(NLT)
When you woke up today, you got to decide what clothes you wanted to put on, didn’t you? (That’s assuming you’re older than age two, in which case someone else probably chose for you. Or maybe not.) Colossians 3:12-14 tells us to “Put on compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, patience…and above all, love.”
Just as you choose your clothes every morning, you make a conscious decision whether or not to wear those virtues as you go throughout your day. And when you do put them on, you get the chance to reflect Jesus to your spouse, your children, your co-workers, your friends, and to the world. Now it might not feel natural at first, but the more you wear these clothes, the better they start to fit you.
So go on—get them out of the closet and get dressed for heaven’s sake. (Pun intended!)
Father, help me remember to begin each day by choosing to slip on the perfect outfit you’ve selected for me as described in Colossians 3.
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© 2018 by FamilyLife. Excerpted with permission from Daily Encouragement for the Smart Stepfamily by Ron L. Deal with Dianne Neal Matthews, Bethany House Publishers. Get more daily encouragement with this 365-day devotional that will keep your family blending and bonding throughout the year.
from Daily Encouragement For The Smart Stepfamily