Clothing
Scripture Reading — Colossians 3:1-14
Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Sometimes what you wear allows other people to see what you value and what your character is like. If you go to a sports game, you will be surrounded by a sea of team jerseys. When pictures of Prince Harry and Meghan of England first appeared in public, the apparel she wore was sold out in minutes.
In today’s Scripture passage, we are encouraged to dress in a way that shows what we value and who we are. In verses 5-11, we are reminded to put off things that are sinful, demeaning, and hurtful, such as malice, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed. Then we are urged to put on a new set of clothes: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. We also add love, “which binds them all together in perfect unity.” In other words, that makes our outfits perfectly coordinated! All of these articles were “worn” perfectly by Jesus Christ; as his followers, we model our lives after him.
I remember a time when I was wearing a “March for Jesus” tee shirt. I was in a department store and unhappy with the customer service department. I was ready to give the clerk a piece of my mind, but then I remembered what I was wearing. If I acted rashly, what would the clerk think of Jesus? Very quickly, my attitude and tone of voice changed for the better. May we always put on the mind of Christ and glorify him before others.
Coordinate our attitude with the clothing you call us to wear, Lord Jesus. Thank you for sharing the virtues that help us to identify with you. In your name, Amen.
About the author — Gerrit Bomhof
Gerrit Bomhof immigrated as a young child with his family from the Netherlands to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, in 1954. He graduated from Trinity Christian College in 1972 and from Calvin Theological Seminary in 1976. He served as a pastor to five churches in Canada and retired in June 2017.
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