Spiritual Clothing
What is in your spiritual wardrobe?
Verse of the Day
“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”
Today’s Devotional
You are chosen. You were chosen to hear the Gospel of Christ at some point in your life. Through the grace of God, that Gospel made its home in your heart as you accepted Jesus. Now that Jesus is your Savior, you are among God’s chosen people – standing before the Father as holy and blameless because of the blood of Jesus.
Now that we have been given this amazing status before God, what are we to do with it? According to Paul, we must choose to “put on” certain qualities. Look at the list in the verse again. Tenderhearted. Merciful. Kind. Humble. Gentle. Patient. Notice that all of them have to do with how we treat others. All of these qualities deal with how we are to behave in personal relationships. That must mean that the “clothing” of our status with God – the aspects of us that people can see – is how we treat other people. So let’s break it down:
Tenderhearted mercy: We are to be easily moved to love, pity, or sorrow for others. We are to notice even the slightest hint of struggle in others. This implies that we are paying close attention to those we are around. We are not called to fix the problems of others, but we are called to walk alongside them.
Kindness: The ancient writers defined this word as the virtue of someone whose neighbor’s good is as dear to him as his own. Webster’s defines it as being sympathetic and helpful. The first of those definitions would require much more from us. Are your concerns as dear to my heart as my own are?
Humility: This is keeping ourselves right-sized. I am no better than you, and I am also no worse. Humility is a constant knowledge that without God I am nothing, that I deserve credit for nothing because anything I do it is because of God’s power. Humility is said to be the “parent” to both gentleness and patience.
Gentleness: This is behaving without harshness. Gentleness shows how my humility will affect my actions toward others. I will not dominate, manipulate, or coerce for my own ends, even if I have the power and ability to do so.
Patience: Also known as long-suffering, shows how my humility will affect my reactions toward others. I will not become impatient, short-tempered or filled with resentment towards the weaknesses and sins of others.
That, my friends, is a mighty list of difficult behaviors. They are difficult because we are selfish sheep. We forget from one moment to the next how we should be “clothed” in this world. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit can help us with all of it.
You may not really notice the intentionality of it, but you wake up each morning and put actual clothing on your body before you go out into the world. I think this verse is reminding us that we must do the same thing spiritually. My must clothe ourselves in the qualities from this beautiful verse before we can go out into the world and be the kind of Christians whose actions are attracting others to the love of Jesus.
Have you ever had a piece of clothing that has worn out or gotten a rip or hole? I have a favorite pair of jeans that are now only to be worn on the weekends when I don’t leave the house. They are worn out. Have you ever heard someone say their patience is wearing thin? Our spiritual “clothing” can wear out if it is not maintained. My ability to clothe myself in mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience is dependent on the maintenance of my spiritual condition. Time with God – in His Word, in prayer, in praise, in silence, in fellowship with other believers – is the best way to keep my spiritual wardrobe in peak condition. Then, of course, I must choose to clothe myself with God’s love, and the spiritual wardrobe that comes with His love, each and every day.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
How do you (or don’t you) feel chosen by God?
What can you do to be intentional about what spiritual clothing you put on today?
Which of those qualities seems the most difficult for you? Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in that specific area today.
What is one random act of kindness you can do today?
How does you time with God increase your ability to treat others well?