Complimentary Story
May 2024When you are cold, you put on an additional shirt, jacket, or coat. The opposite is true when you are warm. You will tend to take off a layer of clothing. Often in either situation, you do not spend a lot of time thinking about doing what needs to be done because you have done this frequently.
This is the picture we are given when we read Colossians 3:7-14. At one point in your life, you hopefully have made Jesus your Savior, trusting Him to forgive you of your sins and believing, trusting that He has forgiven you and asking Him to change your mind and heart as He takes up residence in your life.
Before having this new relationship with Jesus, you did things that were wrong and hurtful. The way you talked, what you thought of others were uncaring, mean, tearing down of others. Now with this relationship with Jesus, you are told to literally take off those old things your thought, said and did, that were wrong and spiteful to others. Just as you take off a layer of clothing when you are warm, picture yourself taking off the clothing of anger, terrible thoughts, the lies, and ways you treated others.
In your mind, now picture putting on a new shirt, sweatshirt or jacket that is full of good, like positive words, thoughts and actions toward others. You are putting on a jacket that is full of compassion, kind deeds, patience, and humility. Remember that humility is not thinking less of yourself by thinking about yourself less where you are putting needs of others ahead of your own needs.
Your new sweatshirt is full of the willingness to work with others without judgment and with their personalities and quirks. You no longer laugh with others when they bring up a certain person who acts weird compared to them or have issues that cause the person to stick out. This person may have a disease that physically makes them different or a mental illness that causes others to be uncomfortable around this person.
Consider putting on a shirt that is full of forgiveness as that old shirt of holding grudges and resentment was so heavy and burdensome. Wearing that old shirt always got in the way when you approached the person you could not forgive for something they said about or how they treated you. The forgiveness shirt is so light and so comfortable to wear plus it helps to make your countenance brighten up.
The best new outfit you now have is the love apparel. You simply radiate when wearing those new threads. Your peers are amazed how attractive and inviting you are with that love apparel. They ask, “Where did you get that new outfit because we can see how different it makes you!” They want what you have because you are different, and it is life changing for you.
With the new wardrobe there is a cost. You have been so comfortable with the old clothes as some of the items you have worn for so long are utterly you, your identity. With new clothes comes a new identity. The financial cost for this new wardrobe is to simply accept all of it as a gift, no strings attached. But the old clothes have my smell and comfort.
One of the biggest steps in beginning to wear this new wardrobe is to not let the old clothes stay in the same closet as the new clothing. It would be easy to have the smell and stains of the old rub off on the new. The radical step would be to take all the old clothes and put them on a burning pile so that you could never take them back.
Let the Holy Spirit speak to you from Scripture like Colossians 3 and be obedient. Burning the old clothes is laying them on the altar that is spoken about in Romans 12:1-2 and let the Holy Spirit transform, change our minds. Then we will be a living testimony, holy and acceptable to God because our worship glorifies Him.
So are you up to having a new wardrobe available to you every moment of every day? This gift has your name on it!
Email: WildMinistries@gmail.com
