Clothed in Love

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. (Colossians 3:12-14 ESV)

I don't know about you, but these days I find myself asking more questions about what particular verses may mean. Here is one such verse: "and above all these things put on love". I ask myself what love or whose love am I being asked to put on. It could mean that we are to be clothed in love (our love) for one another. That's certainly a valid conclusion, after all throughout scripture there is a constant encouragement for us to love one another and to be kind and compassionate, bearing with one another in love. 

Another interpretation of this verse is that we are to be wrapped in the Father's love for us. In doing so, his love becomes like a coat we wear that protects us, keeps us safe and is a constant source of comfort for us. Constantly we see throughout Paul's letters a little phrase, that we are 'in Christ'. In Galatians 3:27 we read that, once baptised into Christ we become clothed with Christ. Our true home is "in him".

To be clothed means to have a covering that hides everything that is underneath. When the lost son came home he was wrapped in the best robe which covered his dirt and his shame. He could, once again, begin to look good. 

The word used for love in Colossians is agape which is the Father's unconditional, covenantal love towards us. Let us be clothed in 'agape', knowing our home is with the Father, that we are in Christ and that, as we are loved, we will become a loving and compassionate people. After all, we can only ever love because he first loved us.