COLOSSIANS 3:12-14 - CLOTHED IN CHRISTLIKENESS

Lord, cover me with compassion, 

enrobe me with your kindness.

As people look upon my life, 

I pray Your beauty they will see.

Allow me to walk humbly 

exhibiting gentleness and patience.

Please clothe me in Christ’s virtues 

to be all that I should be.

“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 al these virtues put on love, 

which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV)

ĕnduō¹⁷⁴⁶ – (in the sense of sinking into a garment); to invest with clothing (lit. or fig.): - array, clothe (with), endue, have (put) on.

            Today, I saw some women from India wearing gorgeous, silken saris. They were completely wrapped in the luxurious cloth, literally clothed in beauty. The verse above tells us we should be clothed in the virtues of Jesus Christ. Just as we consciously put on the armor of the Lord (see Ephesians 6) each morning, we should also don compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. This cannot be done in our own strength. We must walk closely with the Lord and allow him to robe us in His righteousness.

            We are to forgive as the Lord forgave us. Quite a statement. He forgave us completely on the cross even though we were not deserving and had not yet asked forgiveness. He did not wait for us to earn his forgiveness in any way, shape, or form. Nor should we demand a changed life of our brothers and sisters before we extend forgiveness.

            Paul uses the same verb translated “clothe” in verse 12 for “put on” in verse 14. Remember the saris the women were wearing? Let me share the definition of sari from Encarta Dictionary with you:

sari – Asian woman’s garment – a traditional garment worn by women in or from the Indian subcontinent, consisting of a long rectangle of fabric reaching the feet, wrapped and pleated around the waist over an underskirt and choli, and draped over the shoulder.

Love is to be our sari, worn over all the other virtues of Christ. The love of Christ emanating from us will catch the eye of many who need to know him as those saris caught my eye in Sam’s Club today. Allow Jesus’ love to flow from you like the beautifully flowing silk of a sari, and he will draw people into his family through you.

          Father, help me to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ each day. Help me to be compassionate, kind, humble, gentle and patient with my co-workers, family, friends, and especially those who need to see You in me. Help me to forgive as Jesus forgave me, and help me to exude the beauty of your love.