Colossians 3:12-14 “So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.”

So many of us are thinking of buying a new outfit for the holidays. All those gatherings, parties, dinners and we just want something new to wear. But what are we wearing on the inside? What does our inner man look like. I’ve seen some beautiful people in my life, dressed to perfection, make-up flawless, a picture of rare beauty for sure, but the moment they open their mouth their true character casts a very dark shadow on the exterior appearance. The words and actions of a person makes all the difference in the world. Who are we reflecting?

What good are beautiful clothes if we haven’t bathed in a month? What if we opened our mouths and hadn’t brushed our teeth in a week and all that we’d eaten was visible to everyone. And the smell, can you even imagine? Ok, I’m making myself a little sick! When God made us new, he began with the inside, not the outside.  While we were sinners, Christ died for us so that we could be in right standing with God. Compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline; these are the undergarments that make love look good on us. We must put these on and wear them always or our lovely clothes will not hold the gaze of the world He loves.

Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you; Proverbs 10:12 NLV says, “Hate starts fights, but love covers all sins.” Do you look for a way to amplify what others do wrong or do you try to find a way to cover it, deflecting the focus off the wrong doer. I wonder how many times I’ve unknowingly (or intentionally) hurt someone passing through this life? Something I said, I’m sure! My mouth and I have not always gone in the right direction, but we’re working on it! I’m thankful for those who covered me, who said, “I know her. She didn’t mean it like that.” 

And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. Like a simple black dress and a single strand of pearls, elegant always, that’s what love is. Pure love. It melts the heart of the hardest criminal, heals the broken, raises dead hopes. Love never fails to change things. It turns the heads of everyone in the room and gets the attention of the Father. Love lights up the darkest room and leaves it’s glow forever. Touching a life with love, that’s what we need to wear this holiday season. Can you imagine how much different things would be in our world if we would simply dress differently.