Therefore, as God’s chosen people,
holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness,
humility, gentleness and patience. - Colossians 3:12
“I am moving and I need to clean out
my closet. Would you come over and choose what you'd like to wear?
It's all yours.” The answer was an easy yes! Who would say no to free clothes? Only until I actually began
“shopping” did I see just how generous my friend's offer really
was: beautiful, brand new, brand name threads moved from her hangers
to my hands. I was also able to bring couple of
single mothers to “shop” from this storehouse of overwhelming generosity!
We had to accept the invitation,
receive the gifts, and actually place the clothes on our shoulders to
truly enjoy the extravagance of beauty on our lives. God gives us
much greater and more beautiful gifts: compassion, kindness,
humility, gentleness, and patience. Can you imagine if we could
choose kindness along with the blue blouse and patience with the red
blazer? That is exactly what we are called and commanded to do. We are given the King's Robes of Righteousness to adorn; why
instead do we live in rags of grave clothes?
To live in and wear “compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness and patience,” we have to realize
that these coveted character coats are already in our possession as
extravagant gifts from our King. We have to literally pull them from
the closets of our hearts through prayer. We have to place them on
our thoughts and behaviors, in thankfulness and joy, from our great
Giver of Life.
He gives the gifts I desperately need
with only one command to heed: “clothe yourself, child, from My
generosity. It's all yours, dearly loved – come in awe and
receive." What you wear is what you share; to the glory of the
Beautiful King.
