Holy Living

DAILY READING

Colossians 3:12-17

REFLECTION

Getting Dressed

by Mary McGinnis

What are the first things that come to mind when your alarm first goes off in the morning and it is time to climb out of bed? Do you find yourself mumbling and complaining, dreading the day ahead?

What if we started our day differently? What if, when the alarm goes off and before our feet hit the floor, we made it a daily practice of tuning our minds to these thoughts instead:

• I am God’s chosen. Before I was born, He knew me. He knit me together in my mother’s womb.

• I am holy. I know I am a real mess. But I have been washed clean with the powerful cleansing blood of my Savior, Jesus Christ. Since He paid such a high price for me, He has set me apart as sacred. 

• I am beloved. The God of the Universe, who chose me before the foundation of the world, and has wash me clean, loves me with a consuming, passionate love. He will never abandon me. 

As you wipe the sleep from your eyes, having repeated, “I am chosen, I am holy, I am beloved,” multiple times, roll over, sit up and set your feet on the floor. 

Next, having your heart, mind and soul tuned to your identity and your calling, you walk into your closet to find all the clothing you need for the day. Each piece is laid out on the floor and ready for you to step into.

• There is compassion. Picture it there on the floor. As you step into it, it rises up to dress you, filling you from the bottom of your abdomen - the core of your gut - up to your chest -into the depths of your heart. You feel deep within you the cares and concerns of others. 

• Next is kindness. Stepping into it, your arms and hands are clothed with the desire for the best for your family, co-workers, friends and neighbors, as much as your own good. It comes through in how you speak and act toward them.

• Don’t forget over there, humility and meekness are waiting. As you step into these, you are clothed from head to toe with a softness that no longer needs to dominate, manipulate, or coerce others. Instead, you are clothed with patience, willingly letting go of short temperedness and resentment. 

• To give that extra special touch to your wardrobe, step into forgiveness. Like a crown lifted to be placed on the head of someone who is anointed, it rises up around you. It's beauty overwhelms you with the awe and wonder of how much God has forgiven you. It’s radiance crowns you with the desire and ability to give up complaining and forgive those who have hurt you.

•          Over all these – compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, forgiveness – step into your final garment. LOVE.  As LOVE dresses you, it pulls all the other accessories together. You can walk into your day confident they all work in harmony.  

How would your life look different if you made this simple meditation a part of your daily practice?  

Take each of these highlighted words. Write them on a post it note and set it beside your bed. When the alarm goes off, let it remind you daily to envisioning being clothed with God's amazing grace, from head to toe, from heart to hand.  

Having been dressed, we then can allow the peace of God to rule supreme in our hearts. Nothing can harm us. Nothing can put us to shame. We are chosen, holy and beloved.

Could this guide us to walk into our day differently? Would we live our day infused with more gratefulness? Could it spur us on to give all we do each day to the name of our beloved Lord Jesus? 

So take this heart Lord
I'll be Your vessel
The world to see
Your life in me!!