Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

Colossians 3:12–14, ESV

Before we tackle the list of what to put on, let’s look at the basis for putting one. We are God’s chosen ones. Take a moment and let that sink in. Before the foundation of the world, God knew you. Like parents who anticipate the birth of their child, God anticipated you. Like parents who chose an unwanted child, and made her their own, God chose you and made you his own. That’s the basis for putting on. You’ve been adopted. Chosen. Holy. Beloved. Clothed. Born again. Made new. In light of that put on.

Notice that the list is all internal. God’s work is always an inside/outside work. In light of what God has done in you, become on the inside, a compassionate person. Kind. Humble. Meek. Patient. Bearing with (that literally means putting up with) one another. And when somebody fails you (and they surely will!), forgive! We’ll take a deeper dive into that tomorrow.

And above all these put on love. Love is the glue that binds us all together. Love is the missing part that brings about harmony. Love, Christlike, self-sacrificing, self-giving love is the ultimate outfit in the wardrobe of every believer.

How well do you love? Do people look at you and see your Coach bag, your designer jeans…or do they see love. Does love overshadow every other description someone would make of you? Who can you serve today, expecting nothing in return?