Clothing for the Holidays (by Cathe Laurie)

“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:14 NLT).

Alright, folks. . . election season has come and gone, which means all our social media feeds are slightly less of a dumpster fire, and hopefully neighbors may start waving again.

But let’s be honest; we live in an age of perpetual outrage. And we, dear Christians, are being called to enter the fray—but not by reposting every bad meme or barking at your neighbors about how they voted.

As we begin the holiday season, the way we interact with others becomes more pressing and more testing!

One mental health “expert” recommended cutting people of a different political persuasion out of your life during the holiday season. As our British friends would say, “That’s rubbish!”

This is not the time to cut people out of your lives, but to love them as Jesus would, regardless of who they voted for.

“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:12–14 NLT).

Let’s be clear: “Clothing yourself” doesn’t equate to a cozy hoodie you toss on when you feel like being Christ-like and tuck away in a drawer the rest of the time. Paul is essentially telling us that these qualities form our uniform as Christians. Mercy, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and love are meant to be a permanent piece of our wardrobe every day, no matter the weather and no matter how we feel.

After all, our God is bigger than and exists far beyond the next four years.

How do we put on this uniform?

“Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father” (Colossians 3:16–17 NLT).

Teach and counsel each other. Sing praise. Come before Him with gratitude for all His blessings. And whatever you do—including your Facebook posts or conversations about the latest news feed—do it in the name of Jesus, following His example of love and life.

I know it may not be easy to hold your tongue at the holiday dinner table. But friends, that is our uniform and how we are called to love each other—with peace, compassion, and understanding. Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry (see James 1:19).

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Cathe Laurie is the founder and director of the Virtue women’s ministry. She is also a featured speaker on The Virtue Podcast, at Harvest events, and the author of As I See It. You can find her weekly articles here on harvest.org.