Different Clothes
Different Clothes
“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. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:12-15
God chose us to be holy and his beloved. That is enough truth to chew on for the rest of our lives. God chose me. Not everyone in life makes the same choice. I am not everyone’s cup of tea. Rejection hurts. It can sting your heart, no matter what your age is. I just recently felt the pangs of rejection and it felt no different than when I was a child and did not get picked right away for kickball. I am grateful that I have better tools in my emotional makeup to put rejection in perspective but the hurt was still there. One of the best tools I have is the truth that God chose me. He loves me enough to work in me and change me. He paid for my sins and so I stand in Christ as holy. I not only stand in him holy but I am loved. Not only loved but beloved. Nothing can separate me from that love. Those truths overwhelm the pangs of rejection that we face regularly in life.
Have you ever stopped to think about why rejection hurts so much? I think one of the main reasons is that it exposes truths about us that we try not to think about. We know that we do not measure up, and truth be told, we would probably reject us also. We are flawed and sinful. We fall short of being great friends. We are selfish, even when we give. Now is the time that we stop and outweigh those painful truths with the glorious truths of God’s love. God still loves you. Knowing you better than you know yourself, he still chose you. He never gives up on you and he is taking those flaws and conforming you into the image of his perfect son. He is bringing out in your life what he has already accomplished in your life...holiness.
Rejection can lead to many walls in your life. Rejection can drive us to protect our hearts. Yet, like Jesus who faced the ultimate rejection, rejection coupled with the truth of God’s choice and love, should lead us to put on compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Overwhelmed by the fact that God chose us, we should be driven to unity, perfect harmony, and love of others. Knowing how much work God has to do in our lives, and yet he still chooses us to be his beloved, should lead us to great patience with others. Even though they are just as flawed as we are.
Notice our role here. God chose us, he made us holy, and he loved us first. Our role is put on that which he has given us in our lives. Choose, each day, to get dressed in that which he has produced in your heart. Put on compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. We must choose to be those things each moment of each day...even to those who reject us. We also have another choice. By choosing to clothe ourselves in this manner we also then choose to let the peace of God dwell in our hearts. We are not angry or full of hurt, but we are full of peace. We are not driven by the rejection of others but by the peace of God. We find ourselves thankful for those who treat us in ways that are less than Christlike.
Take the time to read the passage again. Are you full of peace? Do you have a thankful heart? If not, if you are consumed by those who are treating you in a manner that is less than loving, then change your clothes. Put on the wardrobe that God has given to you and stop dressing with fleshly garments. How you dress your heart will determine how peaceful and grateful you are today.
“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. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:12-15
God chose us to be holy and his beloved. That is enough truth to chew on for the rest of our lives. God chose me. Not everyone in life makes the same choice. I am not everyone’s cup of tea. Rejection hurts. It can sting your heart, no matter what your age is. I just recently felt the pangs of rejection and it felt no different than when I was a child and did not get picked right away for kickball. I am grateful that I have better tools in my emotional makeup to put rejection in perspective but the hurt was still there. One of the best tools I have is the truth that God chose me. He loves me enough to work in me and change me. He paid for my sins and so I stand in Christ as holy. I not only stand in him holy but I am loved. Not only loved but beloved. Nothing can separate me from that love. Those truths overwhelm the pangs of rejection that we face regularly in life.
Have you ever stopped to think about why rejection hurts so much? I think one of the main reasons is that it exposes truths about us that we try not to think about. We know that we do not measure up, and truth be told, we would probably reject us also. We are flawed and sinful. We fall short of being great friends. We are selfish, even when we give. Now is the time that we stop and outweigh those painful truths with the glorious truths of God’s love. God still loves you. Knowing you better than you know yourself, he still chose you. He never gives up on you and he is taking those flaws and conforming you into the image of his perfect son. He is bringing out in your life what he has already accomplished in your life...holiness.
Rejection can lead to many walls in your life. Rejection can drive us to protect our hearts. Yet, like Jesus who faced the ultimate rejection, rejection coupled with the truth of God’s choice and love, should lead us to put on compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Overwhelmed by the fact that God chose us, we should be driven to unity, perfect harmony, and love of others. Knowing how much work God has to do in our lives, and yet he still chooses us to be his beloved, should lead us to great patience with others. Even though they are just as flawed as we are.
Notice our role here. God chose us, he made us holy, and he loved us first. Our role is put on that which he has given us in our lives. Choose, each day, to get dressed in that which he has produced in your heart. Put on compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. We must choose to be those things each moment of each day...even to those who reject us. We also have another choice. By choosing to clothe ourselves in this manner we also then choose to let the peace of God dwell in our hearts. We are not angry or full of hurt, but we are full of peace. We are not driven by the rejection of others but by the peace of God. We find ourselves thankful for those who treat us in ways that are less than Christlike.
Take the time to read the passage again. Are you full of peace? Do you have a thankful heart? If not, if you are consumed by those who are treating you in a manner that is less than loving, then change your clothes. Put on the wardrobe that God has given to you and stop dressing with fleshly garments. How you dress your heart will determine how peaceful and grateful you are today.
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Absolutely adore the diverse collection at PattuPavadai ! 😠From charming silk outfits for kids to a myriad of styles, 'Different Clothes' is an understatement. Elevate your little one's wardrobe with the finest silk clothing. 👶✨ Check out the enchanting range at www.pattupavadai.com and redefine their style game!