TLIC Family. Day 293. October 20: Put on the new self.

THINK TOGETHER

How often do you change your clothes? Have you ever had to change your clothes because they were filthy dirty?

READ TOGETHER

Imagine living in filthy clothes. Now I know that some of you might not have a problem with living in dirty clothes, so instead imagine you died and were wrapped up like a mummy. Now imagine you were bright back to life by God. Would you want to stay mummy wrapped?

Me neither.

The same idea is true about us spiritually too. Here’s how Paul talks about it to the Colossians:

Colossians 3:5-7. ⁵ Put to death therefore what is earthly in you… ⁹ Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 

One thing that we’ve been learning is that when we trust Jesus as our Savior we are connected to him forever. Everything that happened to Jesus physically has happened to us spiritually. So when Jesus died physically on the cross, we died spiritually with him. And that means we aren’t the same old person anymore. We have Jesus living in our hearts. We have his love inside of us. And that means that we can choose to live in loving ways like he does.

That’s why Paul tells us to put sin to death, or to put off (like dirty clothes) our old sinful and selfish ways. And instead we should put one the new clean clothes of Jesus and his kindness.

And just like with your clothes that you change every day (hopefully), every day you need to think about what spiritual clothes you are wearing. Will you put on a shirt of jealousy, or pants of meanness. Will you put on a hat of anger or socks of arguing? Or will you put on Jesus’ “clothes” of sharing, forgiveness, honesty, and love?

The more we remember what Jesus has done for us on the cross, how he loved us, and saved us, and shared his own heart with us, then we will choose to do the same for those around us. We will choose to take off the sinful clothes we want to wear, and instead put on the Spirit clothes of God and his goodness.

Because of Jesus we have died to sin and have all God’s love.

With Jesus we canput on his truth and grace every day.  

DO SOMETHING TOGETHER

Have your kids help with doing laundry. Talk about why we change our clothes. We make a choice to be clean. Jesus has made us clean in the inside, but now we have to also put on clean clothes (actions and behaviors).

Watch Cinderella get her new clothes. Talk about how Jesus gives us new spiritual clothes to wear when he loves us and forgives us.

PRAY TOGETHER

Jesus,

I want to wear your clothes. Help me to put on your love and kindness each day, as I remember how much you love me no matter what.

Amen.

***

To see today’s post from the TLIC Daily blog –> Click Here