Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Many people like to have a certain “look” to them. Some follow the latest fashions to the T, others find a fashion they like and stick to it in and out of season. Then there are the layers. When dressing for cold weather, typically it is best to wear layers. This is because as your body heats up you can shed them and as it cools down you can add them back.

Paul makes a clear reference to clothing here, as I am sure there were many fashion-conscious people back then, and they also had clothing gear and layers to wear for work or cold weather. I think the main focus here is on the preparation. If one is going to visit with a leader, they may wear dressier clothing. If one is going to fool around in the snow, warmth and layers matter. It is the same with our overall life. We are given spiritual gifts by God and we are to “prepare” them and plan ahead to use them well. Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience are just a few. Forgiveness is a gift from God given to us that we can bestow upon others. And love for our fellow man.

For me, each day, it can take me 30-60 minutes to clothe myself. It starts with prayer, and I give all the worries of the day to Jesus. Then I work to re-understand that God is my Father, that he has all things under his control, and he has great plans for me. I focus on how he has provided for me in the past, what he promises to do for me in the future, his kingdom work and his will for me. Then I ask for my needs and work to forgive others and ask for forgiveness. And finally, I pray for protection from the attacks of the evil one and strength to endure them. (Sound familiar? This is basically expanding the Lord’s Prayer.) I also read over a list of “My Identity in Christ Jesus” statements found throughout the Bible. Why do I do all of this to start my day? Because I am as forgetful as a sheep. I need constant reminders. Most people know they should be humble, kind, compassionate, and patient, forgiving and loving; it is just, in the working out of it, that we fall short on our own.
God designed for us to warm up our spirits and our minds in the morning and dress spiritually for the work he has put before us. When his Spirit is in charge for the day, it makes all the difference!

Lord, thank you for this reminder to prepare my heart and mind and spirit for each day in service to you! You are worthy of my preparation. You will accomplish great things through me if I meet you!