Above All, Put On Love

I grew up in Pennsylvania. Growing up there, we experienced frigid winters with lots of snow. I loved to play outside in the snow regardless of the temperature. Getting dressed to go outside was a chore.

First, I put on long underwear. Over that came a long-sleeve shirt and blue jeans. Then came a warm sweater. Finally came a snowsuit over all the other clothes. With the snowsuit above all the other clothing, I was ready for whatever the snow and cold could dish out.

In Colossians chapter three, verses 12-17, Paul is instructing the church at Colossi on how to live the Christian life. Verses 12-14 is telling the Colossians what to put on. It is verse fourteen that tells us to put on love above all.

This phrase “above all” means to put love on over all the other Christian traits. Just like the snowsuit I wore as a child, which I wore over all my other clothes. The purpose of that snowsuit was to take most of the cold and wet playing in the snow created.

It is the same with the love we put on over all our other Christian traits. The purpose of love is to take most of the hate and persecution we experience from the world. God also designed love to absorb the mistakes our fellow Christians, and even our pastor may make.

Love, which is agape love, is our spiritual outer garment that can take all the abuse we receive from other people. It can take hate, jealousy, and persecution, not allowing them to come into our spirit.
Notice in this verse the Holy Spirit, through Paul’s pen, tells us it is our responsibility to put on love. God won’t do it for us. We must purposely put on love for ourselves.

God supplies the love. The Holy Spirit spreads that love in our hearts. But it is our job to put on love. Without putting love on over all the other traits, we are not sufficiently dressed to survive life.
Brothers and sisters put on all the Christian traits Paul lists here, but above all, put on love.