Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV)
Jesus desires for His followers to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord pleasing Him in all that they think and do and say. In reality, this is an impossibility apart from the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit residing in every true believer of sweet Jesus. Mere flesh will fail us here. We may be able to pull it off for a season - to the outside world anyway - but we will soon cave and our insides will be shown for what we are – lost and spiritually dead apart from Christ. When we squeeze the toothpaste the toothpaste comes out – and when we are squeezed what’s inside will come out and it is often not a pretty picture, Amen?
Yet Christians are to be manifestly different from the ways of the world. We are to be salt and light and leave the aroma of Christ in our spheres of influence. Salt preserves and adds flavor, light dispels the darkness showing others the way and the aroma of Jesus woos and fills the air with His compelling fragrance. As believers consistently manifest the fruit of the Spirit through His power for His glory in our spheres of influence – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in ever increasing measure – we will change the culture around us. There will be something unassailable about our character.
We are to live with a sense of urgency without anxiety. With His peace, perspective and poise we will soar above the culture around us. Remember we are in the land of the dying headed for the land of the living. Earth is not our home, heaven is. Our lives matter here, our impact matters here. Make it your desire to honor God, to know Him better, to walk with Him daily and to become more and more like Jesus. Seek to take hold of the life that is truly life and of the treasure that will endure forever. And the time for this is now.
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:7-10 (NIV)