Let Them Read Us

I remember meeting a young girl, a pastor's daughter, many years ago in Chennai. A non-believer friend called Divya introduced her to me. She said, "Today I am going to take you to a friend of mine who is so full of bright joy."

We walked to her house and met the young girl, who was, I'd say, simply adorned with the beauty Paul mentions in Colossians 3:12–14.

"Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony."

This meeting with that pastor's daughter happened long ago, nearly ten years ago. But I can still remember how welcoming she was, how joyful she was, and how bright her face looked with a genuine smile. Truly, it was a face filled with the love of Jesus.

Hey friend, how refreshing it would be if we, as Christians, adorned ourselves with such qualities and gave people who meet us a moment that would stay with them for life. With the everyday situations and the people in our lives, it is not going to be as easy as it looks to live this out in our own strength. This is possible only when we are Christians who walk filled with the Holy Spirit.

May God help us to love those who hate us, to be merciful even when people have denied mercy to us. May we be careful not to allow the gentleness in us to break because someone triggers us. May we be patient with the people we meet, even if they come across as those who test our patience. Let us forgive, even if people hurt us again and again, not understanding what they are doing to us.

It may even be our fellow Christians. Even if they are not reading their Bible, let them read us and learn from us, for these qualities will bind us all together in harmony.

Dear God, we pray that we may have gentleness, love, patience, forgiveness, and kindness toward everyone we come across in this life. May those who hate us, who do evil things against us, and who are with us only for material gain, learn about Christ's love from us. May we be clothed with the character You want us to have. Teach us, dear Lord. May we grow more and more like You.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.