“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12

We all do it each day when we get out of bed in the morning—we get dressed. And a big part of picking out the clothes we choose to wear is how we want to present ourselves to others. We know that what we are wearing will have an impact on how they see us and what they think about us.

The Apostle Paul uses this metaphor in Colossians 3:12 to tell us how to get dressed spiritually each day, encouraging us to “clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” As followers of Christ it is by these qualities that we are to present ourselves to the world around us.

In the next two verses Paul gives further advice on what Christians are to wear as a witness to the world. “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.” (Colossians 3:13-14).

Earlier in the chapter he also tells us what to not put on: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. “You used to walk in these ways” (clothed with these things), he writes, “But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.” (Colossians 3:5-9).

When you’re putting on your clothes physically and thinking about how you want the world to see you, think also about how you want to clothe yourself spiritually, and choose to put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love.

What spiritual clothes are you wearing today? Do you need to change anything?