Put On Godliness- Learning About Christian Character Traits
What does the Bible say about how we should behave? Steph Nickel takes a look at Colossians 3:12-17, which lists some Christian character traits- Compassion, kindness, humidly, meekness, patience, forgiveness, and love.
A List Of Christian Character Traits
Colossians 3:12-17 says,
“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. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (ESV).
Following a list of those things we are to put to death (for example, impurity, evil desire, and covetousness), God gives us a list of those things that are to mark our lives.
Christian Character Traits- Compassion
We are to have a compassionate heart. We are to be kind, humble, meek, and patient. We are to bear with one another and readily forgive when we’ve been wronged. And most of all, we are to love.
Many of us view compassion as Google defines it, “sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.” But if these feelings don’t motivate us to act, I don’t believe we have a complete picture of what the Scriptures intend. Compassion is the springboard for our actions.
Christian Character Traits- Kindness, Humility, Meekness, And Patience
Kindness, humility, meekness, and patience may not seem like powerful words in today’s economy, but they are. A kind gesture can change the course of one’s day, even their life. Humility reminds us that we are new creatures in Christ, that our value is in Him. Plus, a humble attitude motivates us to listen to others and consider their thoughts and feelings and not simply demand our own way.
Meekness is closely connected with humility. Those who are meek don’t demand their own way. They are not arrogant. They do not bully others. Meekness should never be equated with weakness. There is strength in knowing that we can trust God at all times, knowing that He will work things out for our good as it says in Romans 8:28.
Things often don’t happen according to our schedule. There are those who don’t see the fulfilment of God’s promises this side of heaven. It’s no wonder we must cultivate patience. And when we trust God and his timetable, it goes a long way to helping us in this area.
Christian Character Traits- Forgiveness
We are to bear with one another. Even when others wrong us and cause us pain, we are to forgive. Forgiveness is not merely refusing to get even; it’s letting go of the resentment, the anger, and the hatred we don’t even want to admit to. Only the Lord can enable us to do so.
Christian Character Traits- Love
And it may almost seem like an afterthought, but we are to put on love above all else. After all, we must remember what it says in 1 Corinthians 13. Unless we are motivated by love, nothing we do—not even giving our life for another, is of any value to us.
The Ultimate Example- Jesus
These traits are all evident in Jesus, our Ultimate Example. And when they are evident in us, it is not to bring glory to ourselves but to point others to Him.
That love is not merely a warm and affectionate feeling toward others; it is the love of Christ Himself. His love is to rule in our hearts. It is the love that binds everything together in perfect harmony, as it says in today’s passage.
These verses and the whole of Scripture are to guide our lives and motivate our actions. They are to transform us in every area. And they are to be the basis of our interactions with one another. We are to study and memorize the word of Christ, the Scriptures, so that they will come to dwell in us richly.
And we are not to keep His word to ourselves. We are to teach and admonish fellow believers. We are to do so in all wisdom. Yet another reason we must have a firm grasp on what it says and what it means.
Isn’t it amazing that God chose to include singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs in this passage? After this directive, the passage mentions thankfulness for a second time. I see this as two-fold. Singing may be the overflow of a thankful heart. Plus, when we sing songs reminding us of who God is and all He has done for us, it often stirs up thankfulness within us.
Do Everything In The Name Of The Lord Jesus
The next directive, “whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,” is an all-encompassing statement, and you would think this is where things would end. But as I was putting together this devotional, I noticed something that had never stood out to me before. Readers are once again admonished to give thanks.
Will we go through our days giving thanks to God no matter what our circumstances? It is clear from these six verses, and many others, that this is what the Lord would have us do. Let’s cultivate the practice of giving thanks, starting today.
With God’s help, let’s also “put on” these other traits as well.
Steph Nickel
Steph Beth Nickel is eclectically interested and eclectically involved. In all she does, Steph seeks to nurture and inspire. She is currently working on the first book in a nonfiction series. Nurture and Inspire LOVE is a compilation of the first devotionals she wrote for HopeStreamRadio.
Steph is a freelance writer and editor. She is the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’ award-winning memoir, Living Beyond My Circumstances, published by Castle Quay Books. Deb and Steph are working on a follow-up book.
You can visit her website, stephbethnickel.com, to learn more about her.
Visit Steph’s contributor’s page or at Steph Nickel’s Eclectic Interests.
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