What Not To Wear
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. Colossians 3:12-17 (NLT)
Insight
One of my all-time favorite TV shows is “What Not to Wear,” a TLC program that aired from 2003 to 2013. Each episode features someone in desperate need of a style makeover. For example, there’s the middle-aged IT professional who dresses like a skater chick. A teacher with a penchant for ponchos and Winnie the Pooh T-shirts. And so on for 12 glorious seasons.
No matter how epic the fashion disaster, hosts Stacy and Clinton come to the rescue. They start by going through the person’s current closet, ridding it of old and frumpy frocks. Next: personalized style advice and a shopping spree for clothes that fit each individual’s personality.
In our passage today from Colossians, Paul is describing how we should clothe ourselves as believers. From mercy to peace to praise songs, these new “outfits” represent the myriad ways God wants to express Himself through us. He is a creative God, after all, and He gives us many opportunities to display our new attributes and reflect Him well.
Earlier, in Colossians 3:5-9, Paul tells us what not to wear. Like Stacy and Clinton, who chide the fashion-challenged to dump worn-out duds, Paul tells us to get rid of impurity, lust, greed, idolatry, anger, lying, and other “sinful, earthly things lurking within you.” When we toss these sins out, we create room in our hearts to become new people, growing ever more like our Savior.
Stacy and Clinton are working from the outside of the person inward. By the end of every episode of “What Not to Wear,” their protégés are transformed into confident, radiant people with wardrobes to match.
For believers, God is doing an inside job that reflects outward to the world. By the end of our lives, we want our heavenly Father to see confident, radiant children whose hearts resemble His own.
Reflection
• Choose one of the positive qualities Paul mentions. What might today be like if you “wore” that attribute throughout the day?
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for Paul! What an example he was of ditching the old sinful self for the things of heaven. You give each of us so many opportunities to represent Your character. Open our eyes to the beauty of Your ways, and turn us into captivating reflections of Your love. Amen.
Port City writer Katy Davis wrote today’s devotional.
