Chosen. Holy. Loved.

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

Notice the connection there, in our verse for today? A lifestyle of compassion and kindness is meant to be an overflow out of who we have become in Jesus. Who you are will show in your attitude towards those around you.

Do you know who you are? This Scripture tells you. You are:

• Chosen. God looked at you, His heart swelled up, and He exclaimed, “I choose you!” You are the one He was looking for. You are the one He desires by His side. You are wanted.
• Holy. The blood of Jesus has made you spotless in His sight. He looks at you, and He sees righteousness. You have been set apart unto Him. You are blameless.
• Dearly loved. Pause and let that sink in just a little deeper. You are loved. Not just tolerated. Not just a box for God to check off that He did His good deed, allowing you into His house. No. So much more than that. You are loved. Deeply, dearly loved.

He intends for your heart to know who you are. Once you do, clothing yourself with humility and gentleness will be the natural outflow. You’ll be living out of your fundamental identity as the one He loves.

We love because He first loved us. Have you heard the expression, “Hurt people hurt people”? That saying is certainly true. But what is even more powerful is this truth: dearly loved people dearly love other people.

Dearly loved people have experienced God’s gentleness towards them. Gentleness towards others outflows from their spirits as a result. Dearly loved people know for themselves how patient He always is with their shortcomings. Patience with the imperfections of fellow humans then naturally becomes part of who they are. You see, the more His loving gets into the core of us, the more it pours out of us.

God is love. Love is who He is. You and I have been given the breathtaking privilege of “partaking of the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:4). That love is who we, too, have become.

Let’s live today out of who we are in Him!

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When someone has not yet become deeply aware of how loved they are by God, what can they do to get more “rooted and grounded in love”? (Eph. 3:17).