O Christmas Tree
I am going to be completely honest. It is almost mid-January and I have not put away any Christmas decorations. This isn’t my longest record (or delay, depending on your point of view) I once waited until Valentine’s Day then I could resist no longer. I knew I was at a crisis when even my young children offered to help clean our home of the holiday trimmings. I enjoy Christmas and the twinkling lights, prettily arranged décor, and carefully situated manger scenes that transform every room.
It makes me think of dressing up. I enjoy going out for a special event. I put on my best dress, spend more than 3 minutes on my makeup, and do something with my hair. I feel pretty on these occasions because I have taken time to decorate me! I’m not any thinner or taller, yet I do look brighter.
There is only one other thing that makes a bigger difference in how I appear: my attitude. I can wear an attitude like some women wear lipstick: bold and perfectly applied. If I am angry, bitter, or resentful (because of some conflict or hurt) it will show in my face, tone of voice, and posture. But I know from experience that I cannot just decide to forgive someone and then it’s gone. I have to walk in forgiveness. I have to think forgiveness. I have to be completely soaked in forgiveness or I am just pretending, like a fake tree pretends to be a freshly cut evergreen.
Colossians 3:11-13
(New Living Translation)
In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile,
circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free.
Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free.
Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves,
you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted
mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted
mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Make allowance for each other’s faults,
and forgive anyone who offends you.
Remember the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
Dear Lord, please help me to put on the clothes in the scripture passage above. I know some things are too tight to put on because I am puffed up with pride or swollen with anger. In my rush to hurry up and ‘fix’ myself I tear the jacket of gentleness, in my self-pity I am too distracted to be kind. Ah, please help me to place myself in Your hands and trust You to work in me, so that little by little I will be less self-concerned. In Jesus name, amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment