v 12. Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tender-hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Don’t go naked today!
Did you remember to put your skirt or trousers on before you went out today? You may not have had time for breakfast; perhaps your hair went unbrushed, or your pants were inside out – BUT you did get dressed somehow didn’t you! You are unlikely to have rushed out of the front door stark naked. (I hope).
I hope you also remembered to ‘clothe yourselves with tender-hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ‘ This is compassion described as a piece of clothing, something you have to remember to put on each day. In the sometimes rush of the self-focussed ‘me’ to the front door to get on with today’s life it is all-too-easy to forget to put on these qualities.
It doesn’t matter whether you are in fact staying at home, going to the office, or to school or the shops, or simply a walk with the dog, please get dressed properly. Pause at the start of the day and ask yourself what it might mean to put on patience or any other of these life-qualities. You wouldn’t want to be caught with your patience-trousers missing when someone comes across a bit sharp with you.
You can forget the neatly brushed hair, and the hurried breakfast, but do remember to put on compassion as you set out for the day!