(Originally sent as an email to friends on 5/19/10)
I spent 20 minutes deciding what to wear today, putting it on, and fixing my hair. I wanted to look “just right.” Why? No particular reason, except that I’m female. I’m spending the day at home with a 5-yr old and probably cleaning the floors, so why do I care how I look? Who knows? It’s just how I’m built. So, after 20 minutes of choosing, stuffing, straightening, etc., I still wasn’t satisfied. What was missing? How do I still look so tired? Then I remembered the piece de la resistance...the lipstick. Ahhh, much better. Now I look alive...whew.
We go through this process every day, don’t we? Doing our best to look just right and making sure we are wearing just the right thing. Then, change the situation, context, or event, and we’re thrown for a loop. We have so many roles, and many of them involve costume changes. A parent/teacher conference, a date with our husbands, or a work event all require different attire, different make-up, maybe even different hairstyles. But what remains constant about what we wear throughout all of these scenarios? Isn’t there just one “look” I could stick with?
I was struck this morning by all of the things that I forget (in my quest to be beautiful) to put on. How could I forget lipstick? It’s my favorite thing to wear? But what else do I forget?
The word of God actually reminds us of what we are to “put on” every day and in every situation. Paul tells us in Colossians 3:12-14
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Clothe ourselves with, or other versions say “put on” compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, forgiveness and love. While at times this list of qualities has seemed burdensome and condemning to me (because I am so rarely any of these things,) today it came as a comfort. Why? Because if these qualities were supposed to come naturally to me, the Bible wouldn’t need to remind me to put them on. There are some things that are automatic at our conversion. For example, I am forever clothed in His righteousness. I am a new creation. I am no longer a prisoner of darkness. But I do not automatically become compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, patient, forgiving and loving. This is part of working out my salvation with fear and trembling.
Just as we choose which shirt to wear today, we must also choose to clothe ourselves with these virtues. Operating in these is a choice. Today, let’s choose to “put on” love, like a garment. May it be a long, flowing, silky luxuriousness that envelopes all whom we encounter today. May all those we meet be drawn to the beauty of our Lord, and may our love for others minister to the heart of our God, our first love.
Since our “ezer” is caring for our every need, we don’t have to “look out for number 1” today. It is for this freedom that Christ has set us free. To love, love, love...all you need is love...
I LOVE you, dear ezers,
-J
We go through this process every day, don’t we? Doing our best to look just right and making sure we are wearing just the right thing. Then, change the situation, context, or event, and we’re thrown for a loop. We have so many roles, and many of them involve costume changes. A parent/teacher conference, a date with our husbands, or a work event all require different attire, different make-up, maybe even different hairstyles. But what remains constant about what we wear throughout all of these scenarios? Isn’t there just one “look” I could stick with?
I was struck this morning by all of the things that I forget (in my quest to be beautiful) to put on. How could I forget lipstick? It’s my favorite thing to wear? But what else do I forget?
The word of God actually reminds us of what we are to “put on” every day and in every situation. Paul tells us in Colossians 3:12-14
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Clothe ourselves with, or other versions say “put on” compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, forgiveness and love. While at times this list of qualities has seemed burdensome and condemning to me (because I am so rarely any of these things,) today it came as a comfort. Why? Because if these qualities were supposed to come naturally to me, the Bible wouldn’t need to remind me to put them on. There are some things that are automatic at our conversion. For example, I am forever clothed in His righteousness. I am a new creation. I am no longer a prisoner of darkness. But I do not automatically become compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, patient, forgiving and loving. This is part of working out my salvation with fear and trembling.
Just as we choose which shirt to wear today, we must also choose to clothe ourselves with these virtues. Operating in these is a choice. Today, let’s choose to “put on” love, like a garment. May it be a long, flowing, silky luxuriousness that envelopes all whom we encounter today. May all those we meet be drawn to the beauty of our Lord, and may our love for others minister to the heart of our God, our first love.
Since our “ezer” is caring for our every need, we don’t have to “look out for number 1” today. It is for this freedom that Christ has set us free. To love, love, love...all you need is love...
I LOVE you, dear ezers,
-J
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