Say Yes to the Dress

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”  Colossians 3:12 (NIV)

Remember the children’s story by Hans Christian Andersen of the “Emperor’s New Clothes”? It’s the story of an Emperor who is given a “new suit” to wear, which reveals all those who are unfit for their position.  The only problem is…it’s invisible. Therefore, for fear of not appearing unfit for their own jobs, the Emperor and his ministers pretend to see the new suit. Rather an odd story isn’t it! It is downright crazy for us to even think of going out in public with an invisible dress on, wearing nothing but our birthday suit. However, that is similar to what you and I do when we try to minister to the girls in our church without being fully clothed with the dress of compassion.

Think about this:  Jesus was stripped of his clothes. John 19:23-24 tell us that Jesus’ clothes were taken from Him and divided among the soldiers. Thus, His earthly garments, His royal clothes and ultimately every posession He had was stripped away from Him. However, Christ was never without one particular outfit. That is the outfit of compassion. Jesus Christ was clothed with compassion for you and me. He saw us through the eyes of compassion and kindness and saved us. In humility, He laid down His life for us. However, He did not stop there.  He continues to minister to us with great compassion and gentleness. He sees us, just as we are and patiently draws us closer to Him.

We should follow Christ’s example and minister with great compassion and kindness, as well. In humility, we should try to see people the way He sees them. We should try to reach out to others with gentleness and patience, not expecting anything in return. As you do these things, fully clothed with the dress of compassion, you will make a big difference in the lives of those around you.

Therefore, look in the mirror! Did you remember to put on the most important outfit of all? Did you clothe yourself with the dress of compassion today? Say “yes to the dress” of compassion each day before leaving your home, so that you can see others the way Christ sees them.

Lorinda Roberts
Girls Ministries Coordinator
North Central Region