What are you wearing?

My particular "brand" of MS does not experience the typical heat intolerance that is experienced by the majority of MS sufferers.  But the cold shoots right through me and I often struggle to stay warm.  I also happen to have Raynaud's which is another auto-immune thing that affects the circulation in my hands and feet.  I sleep with a heating pad on my feet and an electric blanket.  I carry around hand warmers and I have a heated vest for winter days.  It is important that I wear clothes that keep me warm - especially when I am outside. 

But the most important things I put on are my Spiritual Armor (Ephesians 6:10-18) and Love (Colossians 3:14).

I read from 3 or 4 different sources each morning.   I read the daily devotional from In Touch Ministries,  Our Daily Bread and I am reading through the Bible chronologically this year as well as a daily verse from the YouVersion app.  I use the Olive Tree Bible App to take notes and the YouVersion to find devotionals that speak on differing topics as they come up.

Today, there was a definite theme.  The Lord has been speaking to my heart this morning about the vital importance of loving eachother and serving eachother in love.  And the importance of forgiveness and using our gifts to point eachother to our living, loving Savior.  

This is the passage used in this morning's Our Daily Bread devotional:  ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4:7‬-11 ‭ESV‬‬ - The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

We are to USE the gifts God has graciously given us to serve one another as vessels of God's wisdom, strength and love.

And the daily YouVersion passage was Colossians 3:12 but I read further:

Colossians‬ ‭3:12‭-‬17‬ ‭ESV‬‬ - 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.

This passage stresses that we are not only to SERVE one another but we are to BEAR WITH one another - showing compassion,  meekness, kindness, forgiveness, humility and ABOVE ALL: love.  This is the key, the source of peace.  If we exercise our gifts lovingly and without grumbling, esteeming eachother higher than ourselves (Philippians 2:3), seeking to be at peace with one another, we will be building eachother up and then we won't be able to contain the blessings.   They will spill out of us and we will be able to bless those we encounter throughout the week.   This is how we begin reviving Christians and sparking a fire that will spread throughout the world!