| “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” |
| —Colossians 3:12 |
Have you ever arrived at some planned destination and realized you were woefully underdressed? Or, maybe you went to an event and realized you had misunderstood the nature of the event and found that you were actually overdressed. It’s important when we undertake an activity or attend a special event to have “proper” clothing.
When I first joined the fire department back in 1965, I had to attend a many-week course entitled “The Essentials of Firemanship.” Taught by a New York State certified instructor, this course provided the most basic information that a firefighter needed to have in order to operate at a fire in a safe manner. The first two lessons were all about protective clothing that a firefighter must wear in order to remain safe during fireground operations. In the intervening 58 years, a great many changes have taken place in the nature and extent of the protective clothing that a firefighter must wear.
Before I moved to my current residence at a Senior Living Community, in the basement of my former house, I had a complete set of what firefighters call “turnout gear.” This set of firefighter protective clothing was left over from the now long-ago days when I took fire protection engineering trainees where I worked to the Hartford (CT) Fire Department Training Academy, so they could experience firsthand what firefighters must go through at a working fire. This turnout gear consisted of a coat and pants made from a very special material, boots with an impenetrable sole and protective metal toe cap, a hood made from a fire retardant material, a sturdy helmet with face shield, and protective work gloves. In addition, I had a special flashlight with a very high intensity beam and a Personal Alert Safety System Device that signals a very loud audible tone if I were to fall to the ground and not move for relatively short period of time.
In our spiritual lives, it’s important that we also wear proper spiritual clothing, suitable to the task we have as ambassadors of God’s mercy, love, and grace. Notice what the Apostle Paul writes in Colossians 3:12:
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
As we begin a new day, let’s make certain we put on the proper “spiritual clothing,” so that we may represent Christ very well all throughout the day. We will truly serve Him properly, if we do so.
Based on a blog originally posted on Tuesday, July 4, 2017
