It’s Time to Shop—Compassion is First on our List

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion…”  Colossians 3:12

There is room in the closet because we’ve gotten rid of anger.  And if you are still holding on to some anger, look back at the post from October 19, 2013 and see if you can work on that.  It’s time to shop. First on our list is Compassion.  Our heavenly Father is so good to us that we don’t have to worry about will it fit, will it go with the my shoes, do I have the right handbag, how much will it cost…or any other things that might keep us up late worrying.  What we are about to put on goes with EVERYTHING!!. Ahh…but what does Compassion look like and how do we put it on?

            The New American Standard Bible translates this verse as a heart of compassion with heart meaning inward affection and tender mercy and compassion meaning to exercise pity.   The King James Bible uses the phrase bowels of mercies.   That is a lot, so let’s break it down.  This is sincerity to the nth degree.  Bowels of anything make you think deep down on the inside.   I always think about the bowels of a building as meaning down in the basement (I’m from the Midwest) where the inner workings are located like the furnace to make sure the building is heated.  The fire on the inside.  

So we can’t just walk by when we see a need.  We have to be moved from our inner being to have affection.  We can’t just be emotional and feel sorry for someone else’s situation, we have to act on that emotion—exercise pity.  Exercise is not a dirty word (she types as she eats a 3 Musketeer—it’s a mini one so don’t scold me and I told you before I’m no longer a size 4).  But that does imply that discipline and hard work are involved.   We have to do something and we have to do something consistently.    

Jesus was filled with compassion and He acted on that compassion.   He met physical and spiritual needs.   And He has given believers the ability to do that too through the power of the Holy Spirit who resides in us.  We are His “…oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.” Isaiah 61:3b.  Oaks are pretty big.  Our calling is big.  When we clothe ourselves in compassion we are displaying Jesus’ splendor.

God loves us so much that He puts the cookies on the bottom shelf for us and tells us what to do in the book of James.  “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?”  James 2:15,16

It’s the holiday season and everyone tends to get in the spirit of charity around this time of year…donating food for Thanksgiving or Christmas meals, buying a present for the Angel Tree or putting something into the Salvation Army red bucket at the mall or the grocery store.  But if we are clothed in compassion, we have to demonstrate that inward affection and tender mercy all the time, not just in the 4^th quarter of the year.

So…what about you?  Have you clothed yourself in Compassion?  What does it look like?  How are you wearing your Compassion?  I would love to hear about it.

Love,  Your BiblicalFashionistaFriend

One of my favorite three year old friends who is quite the fashionista gave me this beautiful angel with the heart