Elect!

Elect!

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Colossians 3:12 KJV

If I am asked to put on something, it means that something completely different from what I am asked to put on must be put off. It then means that there must be a very clear distinction between the things I put on and the things I put off. Because these two are extreme positions, you cannot combine both at the same time. You cannot put one on top of the other. For all the attributes listed here, imagine the opposite and then consider what the old man looked like and why it is impossible for God to work with that old man.

A clear idea of your identity determines your pursuits and priorities. When I know who I am, my race, fight and walk become a lot clearer. I will not envy what is going on in the other person's life; I will not wish for his/her own kind of life; I simply focus on my own walk. When my walk is right before God, impact is non-negotiable. Could it be that the reason why I am asked to put on these new attributes is because when I am rightly clothed and appropriately dressed, my life becomes a platform for God's glory and grace to be made manifest. It really does matter what you 'put on and off'.

Men have held on to the excuse that it is not what I wear that matters but my heart. We so conveniently forget that we are dealing with a God of total knowledge; one who knows the secrets of our hearts and the motives behind our actions. What goes on outside is a good reflection of the state of my heart. Each piece of my new clothing is important. None are tangible attributes you can physically see or hold on to, yet they drive at the very heart of God. These are attributes that underline all that I do; they lie at the very heart of my confession of Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Men can tell by my life who is in charge of my heart.

That is the basis of the 'elect'; chosen by God, not because we are the best of people but because God has a plan and purpose that needs us to be available and willing tools in His hands. God cannot use the 'old man'; He needs me to surrender my life to Him so He can work in me His perfect will and make me all He wants me to be. His time of favour is here.