Scripture: Colossians 3:12
Therefore, as God’s choice, holy and loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Thought for the Day: Among Paul’s writings, this is one of my favorites (though I have many). Each of those characteristics requires the human ego, along with fear and self-righteousness, to take a backseat. In fact, they probably need to be vanquished all together if we seek to truly embody such admired virtues. In Sunday’s sermon, I talked about the magi humbling themselves before the Christ child, and from that lower perspective, they were able to perceive differently. Of course, it was the Christ Child who first inspired their humility. In the passage from Colossians, Paul does not simply demand that we put on these Christ-like characteristics. He reminds us of how we are God’s chosen, holy and loved. God chose us through grace and declared us to be special and worthy of love. This was not our doing, but a demonstration of God’s generous and benevolent nature. The work of vanquishing ego, fear and self-righteousness begins as one acknowledges God who first acted on our behalf. Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience are ultimately gifts that come from a God who was and is compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient with us.
Prayer: Thank you, God, for choosing us by means of your grace. Thank you for providing Jesus as the living witness to your heart of love. Amen.
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