Christmas is gone, soon all characters decorating our nativities that are now clean and shining and surrounded by light will be in boxes, and sadly for this world the Christmas spirit will be also packed with them; it will disappear for one year, and people will soon go back to their old ways. Our homes and streets will be ready to be cloth with the new holiday garments. And scriptures like Colossians 3, fits perfectly for this time when the year 2024 is about to end. In a few days, we will be celebrating the New Year and once again people will be making New Year’s resolutions.

This is a time of the year when many people try to reinvent themselves; when many people make resolutions related to health, fitness, jobs, and hobbies. This is the time when many people picture what kind of person they want to be next year. In verse 10 in the chapter we read, Paul asks the Colossians to “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” Paul is asking his brothers and sisters to put on a new self, to reinvent themselves. Therefore, now that many of us are planning a new self and new practices for 2025, Paul has a proposal for this coming year, “Therefore, -he says- as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” If we do that, in 2025 we will be renewed in knowledge in the image of our Creator.

Compassion is the first piece of garment Paul is proposing for 2025. Compassion is the ability to feel concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. And that is what Paul is asking those Christians in Colossae and us to do. Joseph had compassion and accepted Mary even when he knew the child was not his. Let us follow Paul’s advise and cloth ourselves with compassion in 2025.

Then Paul mentions kindness. Kindness includes not only saying nice things but doing nice things. Kindness is going above and beyond the call of duty to help someone out. Remember the innkeeper in Bethlehem? The place was packed but the innkeeper was kind enough to provide a shelter for Mary and Joseph. Let us be kind in this new year.

Humility is next. Humility means to recognize our own weaknesses. We don’t think about how great we are. To be humble is to recognize that I am who I am, and I am where I am because God has allowed me to; because God has given me the tools, the resources, and the opportunity to do it.  Moses is described in Numbers 12:3 as the humblest man on the face of the earth. Let us follow his example this coming year.

            After humility Paul mention gentleness. A gentle person always has a nice word to say to others; always has words of support. A nice word, a word of support can change someone’s life. I love the story of Ben Hooper who was governor of TN in 1911; he was the son of a single mother. In the 1900’s that was a hard thing. So, Ben had to grow always listening to the same question: who is your daddy? To avoid that uncomfortable question, he did not play with other kids and did not have many friends. When he was 12 a new preacher came to his town’s church, and he went to listen to this new preacher. One Sunday when church was over, this preacher –not knowing anything about his dad- asked him the same question: boy who is your dad? The whole church stayed quiet, the preacher knew something was not right and he told the little boy: I know who your dad is, I can see the resemblance in your face, you look exactly like him, you are God’s child, God is your father. From that moment on he was a new person, and when someone asked the same question, he gave them the same answer: God is my dad. One gentle word can change a life. Let us change someone’s life this year by being gentle. 

Patience is the other piece of garment Paul asks us to cloth with. According to those who speak Greek the word here contains the idea of being patience in unpleasant circumstances. In 2025 let’s be patient with those who are new in the faith; with those who don’t have the knowledge that we have or do not think as we do; Let us be patience with those who are in their own world and do not like changes.

These first five New Year’s resolutions Paul is asking us to consider are very important. If we resolve in 2025 to put on these 5 items of clothing, we will be compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. We will deal with people in a nicer way, a way that pleases God and witnesses our faith in Jesus Christ. 

In verse 13 Paul gives us another piece of garment: “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you have with each other.” Forgive. What does it mean to forgive? The last part of verse 13 says, “Forgive, as the Lord forgave you.” Jesus, our Lord, could have many complaints against us. All the things that Jesus wants us to do, and we don’t do. All the things that Jesus doesn’t want us to do, and we do. But Jesus forgives whatever complaints he has against us. There are many stories of forgiveness in the Bible. Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery; Jesus forgave Peter after he denied him. Jesus forgave those who crucified Him. Those are only few examples of how Jesus forgives. He wipes out all our sins. And that’s how he wants us to forgive the people around us. Sure, sometimes we have legitimate reasons to be upset with people. But forgive anyway, Paul says.

Forgive the way Jesus has forgiven us. Completely wipe out that grievance of that person’s account. And finally, verse 14, “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” That’s the seventh, and the biggest item of clothing. After we have put on all the previous virtues let us bind them with love. What kind of love is Paul talking about? The New Testament uses different words for different kinds of love. When we think of love, most of the time we think in the Greek word “philia.” Or Phileo. That’s a two-way kind of love. In other words – you love me, and I’ll love you back. I love you because there are certain things that I like about you. And you love me because there are certain things that you like about me.  

But that’s not the word Paul uses when he says, “Over all these virtues put on love.” He uses the word “agape,” a one-way love. In other words, I love you, even if you don’t love me back. You love me, even when there is nothing good in me. It’s a strange kind of love, however, that is the kind of love God has shown to the world. Even when the world didn’t love God, God loved the world, and sent his son on Christmas. Even though we didn’t ask for it, Jesus loved us and died for our sins on the cross. That’s the kind of love Paul is asking those in Colossae and us to practice. In 2025, try to love someone, even though he or she is unlovable. Even though he or she might not say thank you. Love them anyway. “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Where are we going to get the strength to carry out these seven New Year’s resolutions proposed by Paul? Here’s the answer: Christ will help us. How? Let us spend time with Christ in 2025, and he will change us. If we want to learn about his humility, let us spend time with Him at the stable. If we want to learn about compassion, let us spend time with Him feeding the multitude. If we want to learn how to forgive, let us spend time meditating in our pass and how Jesus has transformed us. And finally for 2025, Paul has another advice, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:15-17. Happy New Year.