Your Basic All-Purpose Garment

I attended a memorial service this week to celebrate the life of the mother of a friend.  The message shared by her pastor, and the tributes expressed by her family, gave testimony to a life of faith that flowed out in love.  

The pastor read Colossians 3:12-17 from THE MESSAGE as she described what an impact this woman had on the people around her:


So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. 

And regardless of what else you put on, wear love.

It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

Imagine how different life would be if everyone truly treated one another with love!  If everyone always made decisions with the good of the other in mind and not ever out of selfish ambition!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. GALATIANS 5:22-23

These are good words for us to hear! 

Always wear love!