Get Dressed

READ: COLOSSIANS 3:1-17; HEBREWS 12:1-3; 1 JOHN 4:19

When you get ready for bed at night, do you put your pajamas on over your clothes? That would kind of defeat the purpose. First you take off your daytime clothes, and then put on your bedtime clothes.

In Colossians 3, Paul gives a list of characteristics we are called to put on: “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” and forgiveness (verse 12-13). However, just like when we get dressed for bed and need to take off our day clothes, we first need to take off the things that don’t honor God.

Paul instructs us to take off “anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language” and lying (verse 8-9) because they don’t fit with the characteristics Jesus made for us to wear. Our kindness doesn’t work as well when we put it on top of lying.

Think about it this way. Would you wear hiking gear if you were running a marathon? Imagine running a race with big, bulky pants, a heavy coat and boots, and a backpack. You wouldn’t last long, would you? Like these heavy clothes, our sin weighs us down and hinders us from following Jesus.

Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus.” So, we take off what doesn’t represent Jesus, such as anger, lying, and filthy language, and instead we put on mercy, kindness, patience, and forgiveness.

As we read further into Colossians 3, we learn there is one virtue that is most important because it binds all the others together. Love. Because Jesus loves us and gave up His life for us on the cross, we can now love Him and each other (1 John 4:19). When we have the love of Jesus in our hearts, all our other godly “clothes” stay on us securely too. • Renee Robinson

• If we know Jesus, we can choose to put off sins and put on virtues because we have the Holy Spirit. As you read Colossians 3:1-17, which sins and virtues stick out to you? What questions do you have?

• The more we are aware of God’s love for us, the more His love naturally overflows from us. What are some ways you could spend time being reminded of God’s love this week through reading His Word, talking with Him in prayer, and being with other Christians?

Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Colossians 3:12 (CSB)