Colossians 3:12-16
12 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. (emphasis mine) This is one of my favorite scripture passages. As we journey in the one body to which we were called, we are then called to embrace and live out the virtues which Jesus embraced: compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and especially love. The clothing metaphor that St. Paul uses in his letter to the Colossians is so great. As with our other daily preparations, we can also prepare for each day by intentionally taking a minute or two to remember these and asking God to help us to absorb and commit them to our hearts and minds and souls. I would add one more. Taking from the fruit of the spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), I would add gentleness. In the living of this scripture, we draw closer to Christ and to one another, despite circumstances which may strive to separate us. Dear Heavenly Father – We pray that you will help us embrace St. Paul’s guidance, live it, and pray it forward. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Carolyn Fishburn
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Authors:The people of Grace share their favorite bible stories for the 2023 Lenten Devotional: I Love to Tell the Story. Each day's devotional will be automatically posted so come back daily after 7 am for a new reflection. |