Our Wardrobe(Love)

And then as the crowning touch to all the other garments in this unique wardrobe, we need to wear LOVE. Love is the finishing touch that covers up blemishes; it fills in the missing gaps, and mends the frayed edges. God's love, worn in our hearts, motivates us to want to wear all these garments.

So, here they are, God's wardrobe all prepared for you: Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, peace, thankfulness and love. You've heard it said that the clothes make the person. Well, that certainly is true with this special wardrobe for our inner persons which as Christians we are told to "put on." The good news is that all of us can afford this wardrobe and we will be the best dressed person on the job if we wear these lovely garments regularly!

But how in the world do we do that? If you're finding that they just don't fit, or you don't know how in your real everyday situation to be patient or kind or gentle or thankful, then how can we put on these beautiful clothes which every Christian should wear? I want to encourage you to believe that you can be God's well dressed person.

How can we acquire these unique clothes? Colossians 3 says we should wear compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, peace, thankfulness and love. You may recognize these as the fruit of the Spirit of God-the evidence of the fact that God's Spirit is living within you.

I have found it helpful to think of them as garments that I should wear. And the wonderful thing to know is that these garments are intended for everyone; they are within our grasp, and they look wonderful on all of us.

Putting on these garments is not an act of our emotions, it is an act of our will. When you know you're facing a day that will require, for instance, a great deal of patience, keep repeating that you will put on patience for that day. Put it on by faith, regardless of whether you feel patient or not.
Secondly, many of these inner garments do not come naturally to our various personalities, but that's no excuse. We often let ourselves off the hook by saying, "Well, that's just the way I am," but it's not the way we should be. Don't let your personality be an excuse for not making God's best dressed list.

Every morning before you leave home, dress the inner person. You wouldn't leave home without dressing the outer person, but many of us rush out without even thinking about dressing the inner person. So, every day start putting on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, peace, thankfulness, tolerance and love.