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Godliness for Spiritual Maturity “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, forbearing one another and forgiving each other.” – Colossians 3:12 Again, “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” – Philippians 4:8 Mother Teresa had a list of good qualities to “put on”: charity, friendship, forgiveness, love, gratitude, kindness, warmth and trust. “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” – Galatians 5:22,23. The apostle Paul wrote, “Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast; it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. I always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (I Cor. 13:5-7) Once again, the way to do this is prayer, but it’s much easier than the “putting off” process. The Lord told me to keep my eye out for these qualities in the people I run into, and ask the Lord for a copy of that good quality that’s in them. Consider it a treasure hunt. We need to put on God's character and ways to be congruent with His priorities. If we can frame our prayers according to God's will, we stand a much better chance of gaining God's favor. In Exodus 32:11-13, Moses did just that and saved the Israelites from destruction. You may find there are areas where the new nature doesn’t ‘stick’. There’s something you missed in the “putting off” step. Return to there and figure it out. Please don’t think that you can compensate for an old nature stronghold by adding more new nature. A lot of Christians try to overdo the new nature, hoping that they can compensate for the old nature that is still present and strong in their lives. It doesn't work that way. You may find that what looks like a good quality in someone is really a symptom of one of their own character defects. Listen for guidance on this one. The Lord will warn you if it’s not healthy for you.
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