The Dressing Room

DEVOTION
COLOSSIANS
THE DRESSING ROOM
Col 3:12-13
12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
NIV
If I have in fact rid myself, and put to death the old self, there I stand then naked before the Lord, born again, a new creation, a new self, with nothing left of the old and certainly in need of being clothed. So it is, beginning of the new self, starting right off with compassion. This was absolutely not any part of the old self, that is for certain and I am still trying to find the right size of compassion that fits just right. Why is that so difficult? Why do I feel more compassion for living beings who seem helpless to me, such as animals, and have less for those who could help themselves and don’t? Then in addition to this I must slip on kindness and this has to be toward all, even those who are not kind toward me. Here again, I am trying to find the right size. I find it so difficult not to react to acts of unkindness with the same. To response with kindness, no matter how I am treated, is not an easy task, but I must keep getting dressed. When it comes to putting on humility I think I have been able to find this size and wear it well. Now isn’t that humble? What about self image? Should I not have a good self image? Am I not a child of God? He does not make junk! But humility has to be a part of my clothing. Not to think more highly of myself then I ought to is the right fit. God made everyone else as well and we all are the same in his eyes. Now clothing myself with this gentleness makes me ask; how is that different then kindness? I have to refer to the Greek to find out. Kindness is an action, gentleness in a demeanor. So there I am, asking myself again, what kind of demeanor to I have? Have I been able to find the right fit? But then I come to this last portion of my new clothes, my new self, as least within the portion of this section of God’s divine Word. I must clothe myself with patience, or in the older versions, long suffering. When I see the Greek I understand this to be forbearance or fortitude. I must not grow weary of living my life in the manner which pleases God. It is not so much about being patience with others, as it is about me being patience with myself. Although I should have patience toward others as well, I am more moved here to see I cannot lose patience with myself in my endeavors to live for him. When I fall, he picked me up. When I fail, he forgives me. When I can’t get it right, he encourages me. When I try to do it by myself, he reminds me. I need Jesus to have the right clothing. I need to allow him in the dressing room. I simply need to clothe myself with Jesus. Praise his holy name!