The Layer That Matters Most

Snow came way too early this year. I was in charge of a end-of-fall bonfire on October 30th. I was expecting it to be cold, but not snowy! Lo and behold, about halfway through the night, we had the start of what would eventually turn into lots of snow over the next day and a half. I had to start to layer up before going outside, which was annoying, but worth it. The t-shirt and light hoodie I had grown accustomed to wearing in the fall wasn't going to cut it anymore. If I tried to keep doing what I was doing and wearing what I was wearing, I was going to pay the price-and soon!

Colossians 3:14 tells us that "...over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity".
The verse before is talking about living with kindness, compassion, humility, patience...all great and amazing things! But above all, we are to clothe ourselves with love. It's the thing that holds everything else together. It's the big cozy jacket that makes the hat and mittens and 3 different shirts all work to keep the warmth. It can be easy to focus on just one or two aspects of being a 'good christian', and for a while it may seem like it suffices. But when things change and the winds shift, we will find that what we have grown accustomed to won't cut it anymore.

Instead, take the time to put on love. Take time with your Creator, spend time dwelling in His word and talking to Him in prayer. Allow His love to be flowing in to you and through you. When you find your center in Christ's love, then all of these other things-patience, kindness, humility, grace, compassion-will be more natural extensions of the outfit you're now wearing.

This week, make it a priority to put on love first before going about the other actions of the Christian life. See what difference it makes when you start from a place of love instead of a place of self.