Your Jesus Jersey // Colossians 3:12

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

I love to collect sports jerseys. Tiffany kinda teases me, but she knows how much I particularly enjoy my Braves jerseys from certain eras with my favorite players. I have jerseys for Hank Aaron, Dale Murphy, Greg Maddux, Freddie Freeman, Spencer Strider, and Matt Olson. I even had a personalized one made with my name and the number 21 to commemorate the last World Series Championship. As much as I appreciate the names on the back of the jerseys, it’s the name on the front that means to most. I mean seriously, I would never wear a Dale Murphy Phillies jersey, Greg Maddux when he was with the Cubs, and certainly no Freddie Freeman in his Dodger blue. Yes, we have our own unique identity, but it’s the team we play for that is most important.

Today’s verse encourages us to wear our Christian virtues like clothing. Unique. Beautiful. Tailored perfectly. Announcing to all our eternal allegiance. The Apostle Paul, who wrote Colossians also wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:13 that the greatest of all is love. This jumps off the page to me when I read a little farther in Colossians 3:14 from The Message, “And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.”

May your love of God and others be evident to all as you serve in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Donning this Christian wardrobe is like putting on a Jesus jersey when He said that people will know who — and Whose — we are by how we love others (John 13:13). It’s all about team Jesus and the larger name on the jersey’s front than the one on the back. May we strive to live accordingly!