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

Our church spoke this week on the sanctity of life. We had a couple share about having an abortion as young adults who got pregnant outside of marriage. And the pain, shame and guilt that followed from taking this life was crushing to them. But they also shared about the healing work the Spirit of God has done in their lives since then. They know their past sin all too well. This father even wrote a letter to his aborted child as a part of making amends, asking for forgiveness. But they also know the incredible love and grace of God for them, in spite of their past sin.

Jesus came to pay the price for our sins. Our identity is in him! We were chosen and dearly loved! And we have been forgiven, died for, rescued, redeemed, saved, given new birth and loved … oh how much we are loved! And as a result, we are to love and encourage other sinners to go to Jesus and the church for healing and help. We are to love sinners as God loved us.

Each day, just like picking out our outfit, we get to choose the spiritual mindset we will live with. What will I choose?

When we take time to meet with God and see life from his perspective, we will start the day choosing to clothe ourselves with kindness and compassion, with humility, gentleness and patience.

So many live in their old and rotten clothes of sin and shame or judgment and comparison games, day after day. We do not need to do this. We have a Savior that not only died once and for all for our sin, but who waits to meet us every day to help us start with a mindset of grace, forgiveness, and love!

Lord, thank you for choosing me, for loving me, and for trusting me to be called into your family! Fill me with your ways today. I choose to clothe myself and see myself as loved and forgiven!