Lord's Day Devotion - Layers of Love

 

Winter forces folks to don layers and layers of clothing in order to keep warm.  We shiver into the first few and then relax as the next layers begin to warm us.  Then with cup of tea, coffee, hot chocolate or the like, we sip our way to more warmth.  If we're extra blessed, we gather round a fireside or wood stove.  

Cozy settings.

The putting on of layered clothing reminds me of Paul's injunction to the Colossians to clothe themselves with spiritual layers, which bespeak similarly to the fruit of the Spirit.

Layers such as, 

"compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" ( Colossians 3:12).

How's that for starters?  When warming ourselves with these we can then become "warmers" for others like those warming cups of hot liquid or even the woodstove.  These are elements of genuine Christian living.

Paul persists in the layering...these are tough ones for many of us but putting on these further layers will help us to be more like Christ...

"Bear with each other...forgive one another...Forgive as the Lord forgave you..." (Colossians 3:13).

No doubt many have experienced such "layering" as not being able to zap into these "clothes" at a moment's notice.  They take time and determination on our part, along with our Helper, the Holy Spirit - a process.

This is likely why Paul mentions 'humility' before he mentioned 'forgiving' because it takes a knocking down of our pride to be able to do so.  Thankfully, we have the example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ - ever our Prime Example.

Love will bind these virtues together Paul said, and that in "perfect unity" (Colossians #:14).

Can you feel yourself "wrapped up" against the elements yet?  Is your heart warming?  Draped in God's love we can then experience "the peace of Christ" and allow this peace to "rule in our hearts".  In the end, we can be thankful; toasty warm, as if beside a winter fireside.

This is what God has done for each and every one of His children through Jesus Christ.  Jesus was full of compassion, kindness, humility, and so on.  His love led Him to the cross for us; led Him to forgive us and make peace with God for us.  Now we can sing those psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with hearts clothed and warmed by gratitude for all He has accomplished for us, who in faith have accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord of our lives.  Now we can live our lives in the name of Jesus and give Him thanks.

Reach out then, take and partake of the broken bread and drink from that cup of wine this Lord's Day.  Do this in remembrance of Jesus' death and resurrection and of our salvation through Him and all this entails.  Then continue to don those layers allowing, 

"the message of Christ [to] dwell among you richly..." (Colossians 3:16).

May His love, infused within us, be that warmest cloak, a living aura in this message, characterizing and identifying us as "God's chosen people".  May we each ever be warmed and clothed by God's love.

                                                  ~ERC  November 2022~

Based on Colossians 3:12-17 (NIV YouVersion-Phone App).

Sing, The Love of God, along with the Gaithers (Guy Penrod, David Phelps, Joy Gardner).