Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.—Colossians 3:12 (NIV)

A father once told his young daughter that being a Christian means Jesus lives inside of us. “But Daddy,” she exclaimed, “Jesus is bigger than me. If He lived inside of me, He would poke out everywhere!”

I love the literal minds of young children. Sometimes they see truths in ways we don’t. People should easily see Jesus in our lives. Paul explained it to the Colossians in this way:

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (Colossians 3:12 NIV)

Earlier in this letter, Paul reminded the Colossians to put off their previous, sinful way of life (Colossians 3:5-10). In light of who we are (God’s chosen people and dearly loved), we are called to be holy, or set apart (different) from this world.

We do this by putting on, or clothing ourselves, with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. When people look at us, they should see not only our physical clothes, but these spiritual ones as well. 

The Greek word translated as compassion, oiktirmos, refers to a deep, instinctive emotional reaction. In English we would use the term “gut feeling”. Compassion in this sense means a deep feeling about another’s misfortune or difficulty. Hearts full of compassion naturally flow into acts of kindness. The Greek word used here for kindness is chréstotés. It refers to meeting real needs in God’s way. We wear kindness when we offer the gifts of encouraging words, service, or monetary support to those in need.

The Greek word for humility, tapeinophrosuné, could also be translated as lowliness of mind. In essence, we wear humility when we value the needs of others above our own. The Greek word prautés, translated as gentleness, could more accurately be defined as gentle strength. People who wear gentleness show firmness in their convictions but are gentle in their interactions with others. 

Translated from the Greek word makrothumia, patience carries the idea of long suffering or forbearance. In practical terms, when we wear patience, we wait before expressing our anger. It also refers to our ability to be steadfast in times of opposition or trouble.

I wish it were as effortless to live these virtues as it is to define them. But unfortunately, it’s easy to be influenced by the culture around us. We live in a fast-paced world which increasingly values individualism, assertiveness, and self-fulfillment ~ qualities which often stand in opposition to these virtues.

Just this week I chose to serve people I love. To do it, I had to set aside my own agenda ~something I always find challenging. I also caught myself holding my tongue so I wouldn’t snap with frustration. Despite the challenges, it’s worth the effort to be kind and patient because these are ways I can reflect Jesus to the world. 

In fact, the more I look at this list of virtues, the more I see how Jesus modeled every one of them. When we clothe ourselves this way, people will see Jesus living in us ~ and we will stand out in this world. It is one of the ways we make our lives here on earth beautiful. 

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for the ways You model these virtues. Help us to lean on Your Spirit so we can clothe ourselves with them. May people see You living in us. We pray this in Your name. Amen.