Choose Your Layers Carefully

I just spent a little time in North Carolina for Christmas. And I was cold the whole time. Now even though it is the northernmost Carolina it is still considered a part of the south and has fairly mild winters. But after living so long in the southern south I was not used to it. I would get dressed in the morning and keep adding clothes as I went through the day.

One day my sister said, “Let’s go shopping!” So I grabbed my thick hooded sweat jacket, a scarf, and my purse and off we went.  While at a store I happened to pass a mirror. The sight of myself made me laugh. I had on: jeans, socks and boots, and …a tank top, two t-shirts, a hooded sweatshirt, the thick hooded sweat jacket and a scarf. That’s quite a lot of layers. I don’t know why my sister let me go out in public like that. It was not attractive. Yes, she was silently laughing at me the whole time.

Even though it’s not quite fashionable to wear as many clothing layers as I was sporting that day, the Bible does tell us to wear layers of Godly character.

Colossians 3:12  says, “Since you have been specially selected by God for a special reason and because He loves you so much, put on these things like layers of clothes:

1.         deep compassion for those who need mercy

2.         gracious kindness that meets urgent needs

3.          putting others above yourself with humility

4.         gentle strength given to those around you

5.         and keeping your temper under control so that you don’t hurt others”

That’s five layers to put on and sink into and cinch around us permanently. These layers are a choice we need make for every situation daily. These layers will be noticed by those around us but they won’t be laughing at us. They will be attracted to us. Because we will be reflecting the Savior Jesus Christ who embodied all of these character qualities.

1.       He has deep compassion and mercy for us when we do not deserve it

2.       He graciously answers our prayers and meets our daily needs

3.       He humbly put us before Himself by submitting to a death on a cross for our sin

4.       He is all powerful yet gentle with His children giving us His strength

5.       He holds back His anger with patience as we struggle with living the Christian life and forgives us

Now we can put on a lot of things throughout the day; love or hate, kindness or rudeness, me first or others,

timidity or strength, anger or patience. It’s our choice what layers we put on.

I want to choose my layers carefully.

I want to clothe myself with care.

I want to put on a reflection of Christ.