“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” (Colossians 3:12-14)
We live in a harsh, cold, cruel world. My dad used to say, “It’s a cold world out there, son.” He had lived a very hard, disheartening, blue-collar life. Dad tried to prepare me for the evils of the world back when I was in fourth or fifth grade. His speech came down to “Don’t trust anyone – not even yourself. You have no idea what people are capable of under the right circumstances.” Sadly, I have seen that to be the case.
The good news is that we are not of this world. Once we give our hearts and lives over to Jesus Christ we become citizens of heaven. Our bloodline is that of God, our heart beats with a different rhythm, our eyes see things differently. The world, though still just as hard and cold, becomes very similar to boot camp. In the military, boot camp prepares you for battle by first training you, then testing you, then putting you into mock situations of the real thing. I remember thinking, “Sheesh, I hope I never go through this in real life! Yet years later there I was. And yes, the training (although perhaps faded or tucked away in my memory) did come back up to the surface to serve me well.
Being a Christian is definitely not just a matter of muttering a prayer at the altar or repeated so many words – it is a lifestyle. From the beginning God has been trying to train us to, once again, have dominion in life – to carry Him to the world, to represent Him properly, to display His will and His authority in our particular environs. We each come from different places, from different backgrounds, from different experiences. Yet we all are being changed into the image of Christ – Who Is One. Much like married people who have been together for years, we begin to take on the look of Christ, the characteristics of Christ, the mannerisms of Christ. If not, then we should check to see if we are truly Christians. The dominate influences the weaker in relationships of every kind. He is the dominate, we are the weaker. At the very least, it would behoove us to check our time spent with our Savior.
In this passage, Paul reminds the believers in Colosse that they are the elect of God, holy and beloved. That’s good for all of us to remember from time to time. Not to get a big head or grow prideful, but to remind ourselves that God chose us to be His instruments, to be used by Him to spread the good news of His love. Sure, we also have to exercise that love in correction sometimes, but always we are to shine forth the heart of God, Who sacrificed His only Son to buy back, to redeem, the souls of mankind. As such, when we allow God to so use us, we in turn grow in our holiness, our humility, and our belovedness.
Have you noticed how refreshingly awkward it feels to run into a legitimate child of God – someone who isn’t being nice to get something from you, someone who isn’t pretending just to gain favor, someone who is real? If it feels that way to us, how must it feel to the unsaved around us? I’ve heard more than once (from Christians and non-believers alike) that some of the greatest cheatings (I’ll use nice words) they have received have been from someone claiming to be a fellow Christian. I’m sad to report that has also been my experience. I would rather deal with a scum-sucking heathen any day than someone who has to tell me he or she is a Christian. That’s horrible! It flies directly into the face of Christ, these people drag the name of Jesus through the mud, and totally destroy some peoples’ hopes at finding real help. Not to mention turning them totally against salvation or anything to do with God, the church, etc.
As we see the day of the Lord approaching more and more quickly, it demands those who are true to the mission and honest with God to stand up and represent. It is your challenge today, my friend, to make a new friend. Speak to someone you have never met before. Just say hi. Don’t go for the game, set, match. Don’t swing for the fence thinking you’re gonna just pick them up and bring them to Christ all in one fell swoop. Just be kind. Be normal. Be Christ-like. Let others see the love of God sincerely and openly in what you say and do today. May God speak and touch through you today, my friend.
Be blessed.
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