Put It On

 

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

(Colossians 3:12-15)

 My post on Tuesday was called “Get Rid of It” and was based on Paul’s instructions to the Colossians to rid themselves of many forms of sinful behavior that he listed for them. He was telling them that if they had been raised with Christ that they were to put their minds on things above and not on things on earth.

What he went on in this passage to tell them was that just getting rid of sinful behaviors would not be enough. Those practices need to be replaced. He tells them what to “put on” to replace what they were taking off.

When I speak to groups of women it is not at all unusual for someone to approach me to say they had been convicted of sin and want to talk a little bit about how to give it up or get away from the circumstances that are tempting them. But, I don’t remember anyone ever asking, “How do I put on compassion, kindness, humility, or forgiveness?”

What Paul has listed for us to put on are actually more than behaviors, they are character traits. If one has lived a life of entitlement, how do they turn and become compassionate toward others? If one has been treated harshly in her home her whole life, having that as her primary example throughout childhood, how does she become kind? If a person has been proud and self-centered, how does she become humble?

When what we have known and practiced is revealed to us as sin by God through His Holy Spirit, what are we to do to change? Paul says “put on then, as God’s chosen and beloved, compassion, kindness…..”

First of all Paul qualifies who can do this. Only God’s chosen and beloved have the power required to rid themselves of sinful character traits and put on holy character traits. Without the “Helper”, the Holy Spirit, promised by Jesus in John 14, we cannot put off or on anything. You and I can know if we are one of God’s chosen, holy, and beloved ones. (If you aren’t sure, call or e-mail me and we can talk about that).

If we jump down to verse 16 in Colossians 3 Paul gives us our second clue as to how to do this. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

We must learn the Word of God. James tells us if we ask for wisdom God will give it to us. Wisdom comes from the Word of God! If we learn it, teach it, admonish each other and ourselves with it, and sing to the Lord as well as doing all of that with a thankful heart, we will want what God wants. We will find that God has given us these things as we have planted His word in our hearts.

We may fall short of our own expectations and certainly we will fall short of God’s expectations but nothing is impossible for God (Mark 10:27) We can do all things through Him who strengthens us to do them (Philippians 4:13). And He has forgiven us and will forgive our shortcomings when we see them and repent.

Look at the list of what Paul says we are to put on. Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, love, and the peace of Christ in our hearts. Where are we falling short of God’s expectations, which do we need to put on?

Pray. As God gives wisdom so He gives all good gifts. We do not have because we do not ask God. Study God’s Word. As we learn and grow we will find these character traits easier and easier to adopt. If it seems impossible now to put on any of these – it is not impossible for HIM! Keep praying and keep planting His Word in your heart.

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17)