My vivid imaginations are supposed to be an escape. But since that imaginary conversation with St. Peter, I am reluctant to let them soar too far again!!!!!
But hope came soon after. One day while watching a Christian TV program featuring Joyce Meyer, I heard her speak about how we are to put on the Christian Graces listed in Colossians 3:12-14. She emphasized the words “PUT ON” to mean “WEAR” as in wearing a garment.
‘And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, PUT ON a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another, forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against another one; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.’
Yaay!!! I can “wear” these virtues….but hold on, does that make me a hypocrite, “wearing” something that I do not really feel like wearing towards a particular person? No, the answer came quickly. Only if I put them on by myself. I am reminded that I have a Helper, the Holy Ghost, that I can ask for help with putting them on. When the Holy Spirit puts these garments of virtue on me, they remain worn for as long as I abide in Jesus and Jesus abides in me. (Of course, I can always decide to take them off at anytime, that is the beauty of a relationship with Christ, it is all about freewill. But I pray that I never find myself doing that consciously or unconsciously)
“And beyond all these things, put on love”. Once again, I could not help but notice that love is the overarching quality on this beautiful list. It is the outermost garment, the overall coat that blankets me with God’s protection and shields me from the evil plans of the enemy while also acting as the glue for a perfect bond of unity with other Christians.
If you are not doing so already, please ask the Holy Spirit to help you put on the garment of whatever virtue you need for a particular situation. Heck, while you’re at it, why not ask for help with wearing all the virtues? Who said there is anything like too much of a good spiritual thing?? Yes, greed and good can be in the same sentence; greed for holy and spiritual attributes is indeed a good thing!!!
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