What Are You Putting On? Reflections on Colossians 3:12-17 (By JTB)

I remember as a child how excited I would be when I got a new outfit.  The new smell, crispness, and bright colors all made me excited.  Putting my new outfit on automatically made me hold my head up and feel confident.  Some of my old clothes that had seen better days (holes, stains, rips) would get thrown away because they were too messed up to be passed to another person. — Unusable.  I did not want to mix those torn old clothes with my new clothes because it wouldn’t feel right and the outfit would not stand out in the same way.

As I have been reading and reflecting in Colossians 3:12-17, the image of someone putting on the new clothes keeps standing out.  Only it is not the physical clothes we wear, it’s our spiritual clothes.  Take a moment and picture yourself getting up in the morning to prepare for your day.  You have a plan of how your day will look, but that doesn’t mean that is how your day will actually go.  So when you wake up you spend some time with God and as you wrap up that time you have that peace of Christ in your heart.  Then you consciously put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long suffering, and LOVE.  Maybe you had an interaction with a co-worker or neighbor yesterday that will require you to really show one of these in your interaction today.  Or maybe there will be an event that requires you to react where having peace in your heart is essential.  As you are putting everything on you may think this will help you (it will), but it will also help the many people you interact with throughout the day because each thing you do or say should reflect and be in the name of Jesus.

So, I ask you… 

How would your life look if you completely got rid of those old, too small, torn, stained, filthy clothes you have been holding on to for a while?

If you are not sure if you have been holding onto something, ask God to search your heart and reveal anything that you need to release.

How would your life look if each day you made sure the peace of Christ was in your heart?

Let each day you are given life be a reminder to clothe yourself to reflect Christ.  Embrace humility, long suffering, tender mercies, kindness, meekness, and LOVE.  Step out with excitement and the confidence of Christ because the word of Christ dwells in you!  Like the new outfit that might receive compliments, allow the spiritual clothes you put on to receive compliments and be an open door to share Christ.  Remember, each day we go out we should  reflect Christ in all we do and say.