August 13: Putting On Love
You got dressed this morning. Shirt, pants, shoes. Did you put anything else on?
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.”
Paul uses a simple picture. Put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, like clothes. Bear with each other. Forgive each other, as the Lord forgave you. And over all of it, put on love, which ties everything together.
Clothes aren’t something you feel. They’re something you choose. You don’t wait to feel like wearing a coat. You put it on because it’s cold. Paul is saying love works the same way. Some mornings you won’t feel compassionate. Put it on anyway.
This is very practical for Step Eight. You’re looking at a list of people you’ve hurt, and some you’re still upset with. You’re becoming willing to make things right. That takes the qualities Paul lists. Compassion to see their side. Kindness to want their good. Humility to admit your part. Gentleness so you don’t come at them hard. Patience because it will take time.
Notice the line in the middle. Bear with each other. Some people on your list are hard to bear with. They still bug you. They still say things that sting. Bearing with them doesn’t mean they’re right. It means you’re choosing not to retaliate.
And notice where forgiveness comes from. As the Lord forgave you. Again, you’re passing on what you’ve received.
Try this. Each morning, as you get dressed, say a short prayer for each piece. “Lord, help me put on compassion today. Kindness. Humility. Gentleness. Patience. And love over all.” It takes thirty seconds. It changes how you walk out the door.
You’ll get some of it wrong. By noon you may have lost your patience or said something unkind. That’s okay. Clothes get dirty. You don’t throw them out. You notice, you admit it, and you start fresh. Love is something you can put back on in the middle of the day.
One thing today
Write Paul’s five words on a sticky note and put it where you get dressed: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience. Pray through them tomorrow morning.
A prayer
Lord, I don’t always feel loving, but I can choose to put love on. Clothe me today with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. And over all of it, love. Amen.
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