– Today’s Community Scripture – 7/28/2025
So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you.
Col 3:12–13 (MSG)
– Reflection:
Reading the passage from the day before and the trip I had with one of my sons tonight makes me realize a lot. During this trip, I tried to share some wisdom with a young man who clearly wasn’t understanding how life would treat him later. I was giving him the real-life version of what happens to little colts when they are first born and wobbly on their legs. My first instinct was to think of violence, but I chose to reason with him. In doing so, I noticed he was in one of those forcefield-like bubbles where he thought he was safe, but he truly wasn’t. It was all about his perception. I explained to him that common courtesy means that even when you have other options, what you were asked to do comes first. He was supposed to meet at a fountain at a particular time. We were a group of about fifty, and the guide informed us that we would break for free time and meet back at the fountain at 11:50. This allowed the adults to go and have lunch as well. They never checked in. The other groups that respected everyone’s time were there; it was just this one group. When I saw them, I said it would have been great if they’d checked in at the designated spot so everyone could have the same opportunity to enjoy lunch with the same amount of time. One young man said they weren’t part of the scavenger hunt the high schoolers were doing, and they were exempt. With his teacher, another person who did not hold them accountable, standing nearby, I said, “We all were told the same thing—to meet at the fountain. You rode the same bus with us, you received the same message; but somehow, you placed yourself above everyone else and decided not to check in.” Still, no apology for our time, even after his teacher confirmed what I said was true. All of this makes it hard to lean in and help when youth and adults are responding as entitled brats. We must do it anyway. It angered me even as I remember it now, but our GOD asks that we wear the wardrobe he picked out for us. Enjoy your day, family, and community.
– Where do we go from here?
We move forward by choosing to wear what God has laid out for us daily. That means leading with compassion, walking in kindness, and staying grounded in humility. Even when our resolve is tested, it’s about showing quiet strength, not loud pride, and keeping our discipline sharp. My father-in-law is a model I like to remember when these situations arise. Not that he is without fault, but because when I see him, he remains calm, and you know what he means through his body language and all. We stay even-tempered, not because it’s easy, but because it’s necessary. Hopefully, the young man and his teacher will look back on that encounter and understand what the problem was and move accordingly. When we learn to be okay with second place, knowing God sees us. And when offense comes and it will, just like this one, we must forgive fast and thoroughly, just like Christ did for us. This isn’t just a mindset; it’s a method. It’s how we build teams, lead families, and serve communities. So from here, we suit up in grace and get to work.
– Our Prayer for Today
Father, I hope that the people who read these messages are ready to put on the clothes you laid out for us and get to work. There is much work to be done in the world that we have created. The next generation doesn’t have a clue what’s about to hit them, and we must be prepared, armed with the tools and wardrobe we were given to complete those tasks. It is always a great day to wake up in your presence, Jesus. Amen.
