With life in Christ, your garments should literally be righteousness. (Rocket Girrl! by JennyLights Designz!)
You Wear What’s Inside of You.
Colossians 3:12-15 (KJV) Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Kindness is often lacking in the church. One of the major complaints non-Christians have about the church is that its people are proud, self righteous and unloving. Certainly, this is not always the case, but it happens easily in those who live their lives according to their own wisdom and strength and not the wisdom and strength of God. We are told how to be more Christlike. We are to “put on:”
bowels of mercies
kindness
meekness
long-suffering
According to Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary, the phrase “put on” means to put on like a garment, in the sense of “sinking into a garment.” The phrase “bowels of” invokes a deep inward placement of the qualities of mercy, kindness, meekness and long-suffering.
We are told to
forebear one another
forgive one another
forgive those who have quarrels against us
forgive as Christ forgave us
Put on charity (love).
Herein is the paradox. As believers, what we wear (what the world sees) is what is deep within us. If anger is what is deep within you, then you will wear a garment of rage, and that is what others will see and know of you. But if Christ is deep within you, then you will be clothed in His righteousness, and that is what others will see and know of you. Which look did you choose for yourself today?
So the next time you are tempted to hold a grudge, be dismissive of another person’s feelings, reject someone, or speak unkind or abusive words: Stop and pray for God’s strength to be merciful, kind, meek. long-suffering. When someone wrongs you, forgive them, even as Christ forgave you. “…let the peace of God rule in your hearts…and be ye thankful.”
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Related articles
- Put On the New Man (thechristiangazette.wordpress.com)
- Are You Crucified With Christ or a Punk for the World? (e-graphx.com)
- Kindness (perseveringthroughlifeschallenges.wordpress.com)
