CONNECTION

What was your dream job as a child? Did it change as you grew older, or are you in that job now?

BIBLE

Read Colossians 3: 12-15 (NLT):
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tender-hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

We choose or continue to allow ourselves to be clothed in things of the world, instead of being clothed in the above qualities and traits. The scripture above tells us what God’s best clothing is for us each morning, in order to thrive in healthy relationships.

Some common examples of what else we might be ‘clothed in’ are:

• Not getting enough sleep or resting enough
• Drinking too much coffee
• Spending too much time on social media and investing energy into your ‘likes’
• Working too much
• Over-committing in our schedule and not having any margin
• Using our phone as a distraction for issues in life

We need to clothe ourselves properly, so that our relationships can be blessed.

QUESTIONS

1. What is the first thing you do in the morning when you wake up? Are there any quirky or different aspects to your morning routine?

Ps Ellen quoted:

‘In the morning, I don’t look at what other people are doing until I read what Jesus did first.’

2. What was your daily average of screen time on your phone for this week? Could some of this time be better spent on productive, intentional activities instead?

If you have an iPhone, find this in Settings – Screen Time, to check your daily average. You may need to turn this setting on, to stay up to date. In your own time, feel free to watch ‘The Social Dilemma’ with your friends and family on Netflix to see the true impact of social media on our lives

3. What does the pace of your day look like? Does this reflect the pace of Jesus?

Matthew 9:18-22.
This is a great example of Jesus slowing down to heal and attend to the people. Patience allows for relational interruptions. Patience is God’s pace.

4. From the common examples above, what can you tend to ‘clothe’ yourself in, instead of God’s best choices? What could that look like in your life to make a change?

Choose an action point or next step to focus on moving forward.