In April’s Primitive Pleasures, I mentioned Andy Stanley’s Follow series (a phenomenal sermon series that I want to share with everyone). I listened to the fourth installment yesterday. Twice.
His message on Colossians 3:12-13 was so powerful; I won’t think the same about what I wear again. I hope you’ll either watch or listen to the entire Follow series, but here’s just a taste of what made me listen to the fourth sermon twice within the span of three hours…
The following definitions made me pause and think and pray. This is what I want to wear this weekend and every day after.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Colossians 3:12-13
Compassion: You feel. You care what others are going through regardless of what they did or how they got there.
Kindness: When you loan your strength to someone else.
Humility: Seeing yourself as you really are in relationship to other people and to God. There’s an equality among human beings. Humility gives us the ability to approach one another as peers because we are all loved by God.
Gentleness: The decision to respond to people in light of their strengths and weaknesses instead of responding to them out of your own strength. To communicate, “my relationship with you is more important that you being impressed by me. I will adjust for your benefit.”
Patience: The decision to go the speed of another person.
Forgiveness: To pardon unconditionally.
Love: The umbrella under which all of these reside.
photo credit: the cherry blossom girl via photopin cc
Emily C Gardner 
Amen sister! I love this passage in Colossians. Thanks for sharing the sermon series!
I love the passage as well, and I thought Andy’s definitions breathed new life into these oft used words.