Colossians 3:12-17 (NRSV)
Read Colossians 3:12-17 on biblegateway.com
Verse 12As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Verse 13Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Verse 14Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Verse 15And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Verse 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. Verse 17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Devotion
Paul holds before our eyes not the Pax Romana or the Pax Americana but the Pax Christi, the Peace of Christ. Through his cross and resurrection, Christ has triumphed over our worst enemies and has brought us to peace with God and with one another. Paul names signs of that peace: compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience and, above all, love.
Prayer
O Advent Christ, stir our hearts to sing spiritual songs to God and to live lives of high doxology. Amen.