Christian Characteristics of a God-Directed Life

“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.” – Colossians 3:12-13 (ESV)

I remember when I was much younger, as a young minister’s wife, I had the privilege of attending a state-wide Bible conference at which Dr. Julian T. Pipkin, then Georgia’s Secretary of Sunday School work, an excellent Bible teacher, was teaching the gathered group Paul’s letter to the Colossians.

To help us remember verses 12-13, and Paul’s command to Christians to “put on” characteristics needed by each Christian in his life, Dr. Pipkin, always dressed appropriately in suit, white shirt and tie when he appeared before an audience, came before the class that day and took off his coat; then his tie. Then he asked us to turn in our Bibles to Colossians 3:12-13 and asked for a volunteer to read the two verses. After the verses were read, he led in prayer. Then he said something like this:

“Now let us see if we can do what today’s scripture asks us to do.” He then went to the chair where he had laid his coat. He took it up, put it on, and also put back on his clip-on tie. He then looked neat and well-dressed, as Dr. Pipkin usually appeared before an audience. “ ‘Put on,’ God tells us through Paul’s writing, because we are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, we must deliberately put on (1) compassionate hearts, (2) kindness, (3) humility, (4) meekness, (5) patience, (6) forbearance, (7) forgiveness. Seven Christian characteristics or virtues should be as well-fitting to our lives as the clothes we wear, and as deliberately ‘put on’ daily as if we were dressing ourselves appropriately.”

Dr. Pipkin’s simple but profound illustration of showing us that we don’t “automatically”: have these virtues, we must ‘put them on’ deliberately, or develop them in our lives and use them for other’s good remained with me. He led us to talk about each of the seven virtues, and we had good group discussion of how we might exercise the virtues in daily situations. I came away from that Bible study very conscious that these Christian characteristics do not just “happen” in the Christian’s life. As Paul states, they must be deliberately cultivated, put into one’s life.

To put on the virtues of Christ calls the Christian to a holy lifestyle, to one that will not only benefit the “wearer” of these virtues but will help all those whom the Christian encounters in his daily walk.

As we met with Dr. Pipkin the next day at Bible study time, he asked us how conscious we were of “putting on” the seven Christian characteristics we had studied the day before, and how had we utilized any one of them in our encounters with those we had met. We were able to share how we were much more aware of how the “well-dressed” Christian approached others. We could name the seven virtues we were working to incorporate into our manner of life: compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forbearance and forgiveness. God, help each of us to put these on and practice them daily. - Ethelene Dyer Jones 07.02.2017

Resting in the Peace of Christ

“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.” -Colossians 3:15-17 (ESV)

As I read this passage from Colossians, I thought that if we could really apply the truths of these verses to our lives and live by them, how different would be our world. Our frets and cares would not consume our time and efforts. We would be able to take God’s Word and live by it, and at the same time teach others to rely upon the promises we find in Scripture.

The Greek word translated “rule” in Colossians 3:15 means “to sit as an umpire” or “to arbitrate”. We are familiar with the official at athletic events whom we call an umpire. He rules on and arbitrates in games and gives final decisions that honor the conduct and guidelines of the game. When the peace of Christ is present and active in the believer’s life, the leadership He gives will be as an umpire to quell anger, anxiety and the tendency not to follow His leadership. Note three times in the focal passage we are told to “be thankful,” sing “with thankfulness, and to “give thanks.” We should be ever grateful that the Word of God which teaches us the precepts of the Lord Christ is to be shared one with the other in the fellowship of other believers. How many of us “grew up” going to Sunday School, and continued to go as adults? In the wonderful fellowship of a Bible class we can admonish one another so that we can better understand Christ’s claims for a guide in our behavior and our actions.

Paul advised in the letter to the Ephesians that congregations should sing “Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.” Already by the time the early churches were established, believers had the Torah, the Psalter, Wisdom writings, and the Prophets. But he seems to refer, in “spiritual songs” to recent compositions that were being sung in the churches. We can imagine under the Holy Spirit’s leadership that persons in that day, as in recent times, were led to write words set to music that expressed their faith and how they should conduct themselves as Christians. Paul’s advice, “whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,” could have applied to the “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” that permeated the early Christians’ worship.

Frederick W. Robertson wrote, “The real strength and majesty of the soul of man is calmness, the manifestation of strength, the peace of God ruling.” And as William C. Poole (1875-1949) wrote in a beloved hymn, “Just When I Need Him Most” “Jesus is near, to comfort and cheer, Just when I need Him most.” As my “umpire” who rules my heart, I can trust Him, even “when I falter…when I fear.” - Ethelene Dyer Jones 08.21.2016

Honoring Fathers

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”  Exodus 20:12. ( ESV).

“Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.  Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.” –Colossians 3:20-21 (ESV).

     The fifth of the Ten Commandments and the first with an expressed promise teaches us that we are to honor both our parents.  “Honor” involves love, respect, appreciation, looking up to and accepting the leadership of the one honored.  And of course, parents are to lead lives of respect and honor.  Children are to obey parents.  But parents are to live in such a way that children can respect them.  Parents are not to provoke children or cause them to be discouraged because they set such high goals children have difficulty measuring up to expectations.

     Did you know there are some 70 million fathers in the United States?  Many of these are responsible adults and are seeking to rear and support their children well.  But many, unfortunately, are “absentee fathers” who have abdicated—or never accepted—responsibility for children’s upbringing.

     Looking into the history of Fathers’ Day celebrated the third Sunday in June in America shows that Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington suggested a day to honor fathers in 1910.  She wanted to respect the memory of her own father, William Jackson Smart, a Civil War Veteran who reared six children, herself and five brothers as a single parent after the death of his wife and their mother.  Mrs. Dodd suggested to her pastor that a day be set aside to honor Father’s much as the one in May for Mother’s Day.  Father’s Day in America was observed on June 10, 1910 in Spokane, Washington.  The day was supported somewhat by Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Calvin Coolidge.  In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a Father’s Day proclamation, but it was not until 1972 under President Richard Nixon that Father’s Day was set by signed proclamation to be held the third Sunday in June.

     I honor my own father, J. Marion Dyer.  Like Sonora Smart Dodd’s father, my father lost companions to death and reared children by both his first and second wife after their deaths.  He manifested great faith, love, patience, endurance and example.  I am the beneficiary of a godly father.  I was married to a man who became an exemplary father to our children, seeking to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  Fortunate are we who have the legacy of a good home and a father worthy of honor. 

     Dr. B. B. McKinney, noted hymnologist of the last century, wrote this prayer in his hymn entitled  

“God Give Us Christian Homes”: 

               “God give us Christian homes!

                 Homes where the father is true and strong,

                 Homes that are free from the blight of wrong,

                 Homes that are joyous with love and song,

                God give us Christian homes!  God give us Christian homes!”

      May his words be our prayer for this Father’s Day.  And Happy Father’s Day, all you wonderful fathers who might read this, and all of you who read and think about the influence of your own father.  Thank God for godly fathers.  –Ethelene Dyer Jones  06.15.2014.