… you have taken off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed … in the image of the Creator … Therefore, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience … And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity (Colossians 3:9, 10, 12, 14)

When it comes to Real ID, we sometimes find ourselves stuck between what we believe and how we behave.  Scripture tells us we are new creations in Christ—do we act like it?  The Good News tell us that in Christ we are beloved daughters and sons of God—do we really believe it?

Belief and behavior go together.  We do what we believe, at least to some extent.  And also—we believe what we do.

This week’s passage, Colossians 3:1-17, is filled with belief statements: you have been raised with Christ (verse 1), you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God (2), you are God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved (12).  And filled with lots we are commanded to do because of what we believe: set your hearts (verse 1), set your minds (2), put to death what belongs to your earthly nature (5), rid yourselves of anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language (8), clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness and the like (12), bear with one another, forgive one another (13), put on love (14), and many others.

In this day’s devotional we’re going to zoom in on the metaphor of getting dressed for work.  Each of us, all of us together, have important kingdom work to do each and every day.  Our lives are to flesh out, give visible form to, what we believe—our “outside,” what we are “wearing,” should match the “inside,” what we believe.

If you get hurt in a car accident, and a fellow driver gets out of her car and comes towards you wearing nurse’s “scrubs,” you are relieved—her clothing tells you that she will be able to take care of you.  If you’re smelling smoke and a fellow shows up in firefighter gear, you breathe a sigh of relief.  If your country is in the throes of a civil war and soldiers show up, but they’re wearing peacekeeper helmets, you might find a hope that allows you to call a ceasefire.

In a world that is sick and on fire in many ways, a world in which so many are at one another’s throats, in a world in which justice and peace seem so far off and oppression and violence so very near—in this world in which King Jesus has called us to represent him and his ways, what are we wearing to work each day?

Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, forgiveness, love, peace, gratitude, joy—these are the behaviors that flow from our beliefs.  These are the clothes of the kingdom—and they do not come cheap!  They often seem to be not in fashion, out of style.  And they likely will show signs of being frequently mended—after all, my patience and kindness regularly get torn by the impatience and cruelty of the world.

But we are not dressing to win popularity contests or “Best of…” awards.  We are dressing to represent, and serve, our King and the interests of his Kingdom.

Quick closet check: consider the opposites of compassion, kindness, gratitude, joy, and all the rest.  Got any of those “opposites” hanging in your closet—self-pity instead of compassion, grumbling instead of gratitude?  Invite Jesus to “go through the closet” with you, tossing some items away, bringing others right up front where you’ll be sure to see—and put them on—each day.