Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe
yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12-16 (NIV)
Every morning I receive a “Scripture of the Day”
email. I like to read it before I get out of bed. I figure that I can use all
the help I can get in starting my day. (I smiled when I saw the above verse
this morning because it is part of the Scripture read yesterday in worship. Wonder
if God is trying to tell me something?!)
I know what the words convey—they express the
way in which God’s people (that’s you and me) are to interact with others for
the sake of and in the name of the Lord. We are to treat others in the same
manner that Jesus is with us. God is compassionate towards me as I face the day
hindered by sinful human limitations by reaching out to me in love despite my
failures and outright defiance. He supplies my needs even though I don’t
deserve and often do not ask for his compassion or kindness. And there is no
denying that Jesus was and is the model of humility I am to emulate and so
often fail at miserably even if I try. Gentleness is another way of saying “Handle
with care.” We are all fragile at times and need to be handled with care even
when it is an inconvenient time. And speaking of patience—I like to think that
I am a patient person but when my patience is spent, I am less than patient
with everything and everyone.
Okay. I’ve read, thought about and applied it to
my life—Now what?!
Taste and see that the Lord is good. Psalm 34:8(NIV)
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and
what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 1
John 3:2(NIV)
If I stop there with my study of the Word, then
I’ve just done the equivalent of spitting out my food after I chew on it a
little. I get a taste but it doesn’t really nourish me. If I don’t allow God’s
Word and wisdom to absorb into my life and empower me, it cannot change me and
I must change if I am to be made like Christ.
So now that you’ve read this little thought for
the day—now what?
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