Reading Through The New Testament. September 12th, 2016. Colossians 3

Let’s call today’s reflection: Who I want to be.

May 23rd is my birthday, and for about a decade now, every May 23rd at 6am I wake up and take a walk. I watch the sunrise and bring along my Bible. I spend some time in prayer and ask the question:

who am I becoming and is it who do I want to be?

For the past two years I’ve read Colossians 3 as my text for who I want to be.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” - Colossians 3:12-14

Every year I remind myself that I want to be clothed with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

I frequently miss the mark. Lose my way. Make mistakes. But I come back, and remember the person I want to be. The person God is calling me to be and through his grace I am able to become more and more of.

I love the last verse: over all put on love which binds them all together.

Truly, to have my eyes set on love as my highest priority all these other things come bound together with it.

I don’t want to be remembered as someone who was successful… I want to be remembered as someone who loved.

This is a good reminder again this morning.

Take a moment to reflect on who you are becoming… is this the person you want to be?

Or do you need to put love above all?

Perhaps today is as good as any day to clothe yourself in humility, kindness, forgiveness, patience, gentleness… or to simplify it… love. Love today and all these things will come with it.