“In Colossians 3:12, Jesus says 3 things define us: We are 'chosen (not choice), holy (set apart), and dearly loved.' Then he lists 5 garments of grace he gives us and wants us to wear: 'compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.' Being this loved, let’s get/stay dressed.” (Scotty Smith)
I recently read the above quote on social media and it really captured my attention as it drew my focus to look at this verse from a fresh perspective, especially on how it impacts us, His daughters, in the work place.
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Colossians 3:12)
The first thing I was taught on about this verse is to ask myself, “What is the ‘therefore’ there for?” In the previous 6 verses (Colossians 3:5-11) Paul is reminding us what NOT to bring along with us when we become His:
-impurity
-sexual immorality
-lust
-evil desires
-greed/idolatry
-anger
-rage
-malice
-slander
-filthy language
-lies
-looking down on people because of their class or race
That is quite the list, isn’t it? So when Paul says, “Therefore,” he is wanting us to know what we are now TO do now that we know what we aren’t to do.
We are to walk out our relationship with God in three key ways:
SPIRITUALLY – to acknowledge God has made us holy, and we now are capable of making wise decisions regarding temptation and sin with God’s help.
How does this impact us at work? We now have Holy Spirit’s help when we face a situation where we are tempted to choose a short cut which isn’t best for the company we work for, or are about to shoot back a negative comment when someone says something unkind to us.
MENTALLY - to hold fast to the truth that we are chosen, and now His. This new mindset is to remind us that we are no longer who we once were.
How does this impact us at work? When we are overlooked for a promotion or change of job duties, we can rest in the truth that we are forever chosen by God. And just because we may have made mistakes in the past, we no longer have to have the same mindset. Those who are forgiven now have a clear mind, and we are not longer weaponless when the enemy tries to sneak lies or past labels into our mind.
EMOTIONALLY – to accept that God loves us so much we are referred to as dearly loved, beloved, throughout the Word.
How does this impact us at work? On the harder days, we are able to recognize that although we may be under the crunch of a looming deadline, or having to cover additional duties for our sick coworkers, we are deeply loved and do not need to stress ourselves out by feeling like we have to prove our worth. We can rest in the truth that no matter what, we are His beloved, always.
Now that we know our position to God – He chose us, He makes us holy, and He loves us so – we are reminded that these are the key ways in which we are now to be defined. I don’t know about you, but I sighed with a sense of relief as I reread the first half of this verse, because it made it clear again that these three keys are all because of what God has done and continues to do for us!
Bringing This to God in Prayer:
“God, I am so thankful that You knew exactly what we would need when You rescued us. You placed us spiritually in Your forever family. You help us make wise choices with the help of Your Word and Holy Spirit’s guidance. You reassure me that I am worthy because You have deemed me so. Help me turn to You first when I am stressed, fearful or tempted to do wrong, knowing that here is nothing too small or too big for You to help me with. In Jesus’ Name, Amen."