Put On Love

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another… — Colossians 2:12-13a

Chapter 3 provides a transition in Paul’s letter to the Colossians as he shifts from a theological discussion of the centrality of Jesus’s death for the salvation of sinners to the proper application of our new life in His resurrection. Verse 1 reads, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” For Paul, this new life is like new clothes we should “put on.” They are stitched with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. These virtues are not natural dispositions, but the outworking of a heart transformed by grace. At the center of them all is love, “which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Our identity in Christ becomes the foundation for how we live. 

Putting on the qualities of Christ is like clothing ourselves each morning; we have to consciously choose to do it in daily practice. Each morning, we begin by remembering who we are in Christ and ask him to shape us accordingly. We bear with others. We extend forgiveness as we have been forgiven. We respond to others gently rather than harshly. To do this, we look for opportunities to serve and encourage others, even when it is inconvenient. As we do this consistently, our love for God grows and governs our attitudes and interactions. In this way, the love of Christ is increasingly displayed through us. 

Prayer: Life-transforming Spirit, I don’t put on the new life I have in Christ every day. Forgive me, and help me learn to be comfortable in the new life of love You gave me so that I may be compassionate, kind, and patient. 

Reflection Question: 

1. Which of the qualities listed in this passage do you find most difficult to “put on” and why? 
2. How can remembering your identity as God’s chosen and beloved child shape your interactions with others this week? What is one way to share Christlike love in a challenging relationship? 

Weekly Memory Verse: As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? — Psalm 42:1-2