Colossians 3:12-17 (NIV)
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 one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 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. 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.
Western Novels and Western Movies
When I think of Western anything, I think of my daddy. A lover of Western movies and novels. Mostly movies. He loved John Wayne westerns and had a collection of his movies on old VHS tapes. He wore those tapes out watching them over and over again.
Louis L’Amour wrote Riding for the Brand, a collection of short stories about different characters who define “riding for the brand.” So what does the term mean anyway? The characters in L’Amour’s book were loyal to what truly matters, and they used their courage and their blood to establish the West. They were “riding for the brand.”
L’Amour’s book is about the open West. It was a land where wanderers could find themselves a home—a home to fight for and sometimes die for. Jed Asbury was one such journeyman. You see, Jed took on the identity of a dead man. Allen Ring, another journeyman, won his plot of land in a card game. The thing is, he discovered he had to win again with a gun. The characters in L’Amour’s classic stories are all “riding for the brand”—as they stay loyal to what matters, they stake out the West with their courage and their blood. Great compliment to the cowboy, wouldn’t you agree? My daddy would have loved that.
Photo by Don Starkey on Unsplash
Paul writes that when we put on Christ, it’s like putting on new clothing; we’re putting on the brand of Christ.
It’s a struggle to let God handle it. Branding ourselves with Christ is uncomfortable sometimes. We want Christ in a time of crisis, but want to keep God at arm’s length when it means we have to do something different.
In verse twelve of our scripture, Paul lists the clothing of Christ:
- Compassion—it’s like when you see the plight of someone, you’re moved to action. You want to help.
- Kindness—there are so many mean-talking people. Makes me crazy. You can have differences, but don’t be mean—live in kindness—there’s a way to disagree.
- Humility—we must be humble. Don’t think of yourself as higher or better than others. Those who have no humility end up all alone.
- Gentleness—we must have this. You wouldn’t want to put meekness on your resume. Gentleness, in my opinion, isn’t the same as meekness. One is the inward expression, and one is the outward expression. When you harness an animal, you take the wild out of them and make them gentle. There is strength in gentleness.
- Patience—of which I have none. It takes up too much space in my brain. It takes all the air out of my lungs. I struggle with it all the time. But God’s word tells us we must have patience. Paul wrote about this specifically for me. I’m convinced of it. I’m not very patient with life. Unfortunately, loss of patience can escalate a situation beyond recognition. I do try not to let my impatience get that far.
In Verse 13, Paul talks about forgiveness. It’s difficult not to wear the badges of those who’ve hurt us. We’re proud of them and cling to their power. We must remember that we don’t have to forget or condone—but we must forgive. To that end, I encourage you to watch the movie The Shack. Pay particular attention to Wisdom. It will totally break you.
Look at the crucifixion as a perfect example of forgiveness. Jesus is on the cross and asking God to forgive those who put Him there. Forgiveness is strength. Just as God forgives us, so must we forgive. Representing Jesus in forgiveness.
In verse 14, Paul speaks of love as the binder. The love of Jesus is the perfect bond of unity—living Christ’s love and action.
What are you doing to show your brand loyalty?
If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
Photo by Rainer Bleek on Unsplash
Are you brand loyal?
Are you riding for the brand?
Whose brand are you riding for? For me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
That will be our brand.
And that’s what I learned in Church……see ya next time!
