Daily Devotional from the Upper Room

The Garment of Life

Read Colossians 3:12-17

View the Sept-Oct, 2012 Issue

[You] have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

- Colossians 3:10 (NIV)

When my daughter, Kristi, was young, I made her clothes. My favorite part of that work was the preparation: selecting a pattern, the fabric and the color, and finally the trim. I loved bringing the materials home and showing them to my daughter so that she could get an idea of what was in store. After the fun of shopping and previewing, the real work began. Dedicated time and skill turned a piece of cloth into something she could enjoy wearing. But until the work was done, the garment was no more than a nice intention.

It is much the same with what we learn from God’s word. We can read the scripture, highlight favorite passages, and make notes in the margins of our Bible. We can attend Bible classes, hear sermons regularly, and discuss what we’ve read.


 But actually doing something with God’s word is the real work, the evidence that we have read and studied the scripture.
We determine to take God’s instructions into our minds and hearts — and then to clothe ourselves in what we’ve learned. Only then does the word of God become embodied in us and make a difference in our lives and in the lives of those we encounter.

 

The Author

Pat Rowland (Tennessee, USA)

Thought for the Day

Prayer

Dear Father, strengthen our resolve to live as your word teaches us. May we be doers of your word, not just hearers. (See James 1:22.) Amen.
 

Prayer focus on Those who earn their living by sewing