Choices

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” 

                                                                                                –Colossians 3:12 (NIV)

Every morning as I prepare for my day, I decide what to wear.  Looking in my closet, I have choices.  Do I wear a skirt today?  Slacks?  Jeans?  What top coordinates with the skirt or pants?  Both must match in color and appropriateness for the weather and occasion.  Next, I decide on appropriate accessories.  Which shoes?  Belt?  Scarf?  Jewelry?  All these choices match one another to create a unified whole.  Once I make my decisions and dress, I’m ready for the day.

Just as I daily choose what clothes I’ll wear, I have choices in what to don from my spiritual closet.   What shall I wear?  Shall it be a spirit of complaining or gratefulness?  If I choose complaining, I accessorize with sorrow and bitterness, to create a coordinated ensemble.  I wonder: Is this what a child of God would wear?  Is this appropriate attire for the daughter of the King?  Instead, I choose to wear gratefulness.  To match gratefulness, I choose compassion and humility, which naturally complement one another.  To accessorize, I choose good deeds for my feet.  The sparkling gem of God’s love unifies the ensemble.  Now I’m ready for the day. 

Father God, help me make wise choices as I choose clothing from my spiritual closet.

(I first published this devotional in The Secret Place, Fall 2017)