The Garments Of Grace And The God Who Finds Us

What We Wear Shapes How We Live

There is an old sailing term that goes something like this, “I really like the cut of his jib.” This phrase means you approve of someone’s general appearance, manner, or character. It originally comes from sailing, where sailors would identify ships by the shape of their jib sails. As Christians, we oft sing “They will know we are Christians by out love.” Our outward appearance often says a lot about who we are. In an era gone by, we could tell what a person did by the outfit they wore. Clothing represents identity and intention. In today’s passage from Colossians, Paul is using the metaphor of “putting on” virtues as deliberately as we put on clothes. In our Luke passage, we again get the clothed metaphor, this time observing Jesus “clothed” in wisdom, growing into his identity in the Father’s house.

Let’s think about a simple but important question: Who are we becoming? Another way to ask it is, “What are we putting on spiritually?” Over the past few weeks, we’ve talked about love, compassion, kindness, meekness, and patience—like putting on new clothes that show who we are in Christ.

Now, after Christmas, our Bible readings encourage us to keep growing as we follow Jesus. We’ll see how he grows up and steps into the work God gave him. Today, I invite you to walk with Jesus alongside me. Let’s learn together how to live with love and kindness, and let God shape us into better followers and disciples of Christ. As we do, we’ll grow in faith and become more like him.

The God Who Finds Us in the Ordinary (Luke 2:41–52)

I have tried over the Advent and Christmas season portray the humanity of Mary and Joseph. I find that this allows us to sometimes find the humor in the Gospel messages. Today is no different. Have you ever lost a kid at the store? Or worse, left a kid at a venue? It is a funny story we now tell in our family about the time my wife left our youngest at a venue. Her sisters have her somewhat convinced that she is the unwanted kid and that we are always losing her. The panic we observe in Mary and Joseph today is a deeply human one. Imagine that story around the seder table many years later, Jesus, with his siblings, all laughing it up about that time mom and dad lost him during the festival travel. All the while the elder Joseph and middle age Mary are quietly feeling badly about themselves. All they were trying to do is be good parents. Their fear and embarrassment is real, relatable and honest.

In this beautiful story, if we can look past the literal translation of the story and look at it as it is, a story much like many ancient stories – one that provides us a lesson. When we look at this story through this lens, we will find a metaphor of where God is. Jesus is where he always has belonged, in his “Father’s house”. Mary and Joseph, like us are disoriented not because Jesus was lost or God was absent, but because we are the ones that wander. God never goes away, God is always with us and when we are lost, it is God like Jesus reaching out for Peter when he started to sink when walking on the water, that comes after us. Even when we lose track of God, God does not lose track of us.

The other lesson here is that God meets us in the places where wisdom grows. Growing is a practice of becoming. This is why the contemplative path has been so sustaining for me all these years. When we focus our attention on growth in spiritual maturity over getting it all right, this is where true growth happens.

If God is the One who finds us, then Colossians tells us how we live once we’ve been found.

The Garments of Grace (Colossians 3:12–17)

As followers of Christ, we are invited not just to believe but to embody the identity God has given us. Before we can truly live out the virtues of faith, we must first accept who we are in God’s eyes: chosen, holy, and beloved. This is the foundation upon which our behavior is built. Paul reminds us in Colossians that our spiritual clothing is not earned—it is given. We do not work for the garments of the new creation; instead, we receive them as gifts, and our task is to let them grow into fully formed spiritual habits. During Advent, we reflected on these gifts, and now, Paul calls us to “put on” the virtues that mark us as God’s people:

Compassion
Kindness
Humility
Meekness
Patience
Forgiveness
Love—the bond of perfection, the belt that holds everything together

Paul challenges us as does Jesus in many passages throughout the Gospels to “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.” This peace is not passive; it is an active, governing presence that shapes our every thought and action. When Christ’s peace rules within us, it becomes the fabric that holds our spiritual garments together and sustains us through life’s storms.

Just as each of these virtues is woven into the fabric of our new life, we are called to intentionally practice them in our interactions each day. This spiritual wardrobe transforms not only our attitudes but also our relationships, allowing Christ’s peace to rule in our hearts and among us as one unified body. In doing so, we reflect the character of Christ to the world around us, making visible the invisible grace we have received.

We must be peacemakers.

Paul finally points us to gratitude as the finishing touch. He tells us to be thankful. As a spiritual practice, gratitude enhances our satisfaction and counters our feelings of greed and entitlement. For Paul, it is the final touch, the attitude that secures all other virtues and keeps our hearts soft and receptive to God’s ongoing work in us.

Briefly then, we can put these garments on daily and engage in intentional practice when we

Begin Each Day with Intention
Start your day by “putting on” one spiritual garment. Pray, “Lord, today help me wear compassion… or patience… or love.”
Let the Peace of Christ Rule Your Reactions
Before responding to difficult moments, ask: “Is peace ruling me right now?” Let Christ’s peace guide your words and actions.
Let the Word of Christ Dwell Richly
Make space for Scripture, song, silence, or reflection. Remember, Jesus was found in the place where the Word dwelled. Let God’s Word shape your day.
Practice Gratitude as a Spiritual Habit
List three things each day you’re thankful for. Gratitude secures your spiritual clothing and keeps your heart open to God’s movement.

How These Passages Speak to Each Other – Tying it All Together

This morning, we have studied two passages, one from Luke and one from Colossians. In Luke’s Gospel, we see Jesus growing in wisdom, stature, and favor. He is found in the “Father’s” house, embodying compassion, humility, and peace. Jesus is our example of what it means to wear the garments of grace. Mary and Joseph show us what it means to be vulnerable before God. They admit their fears, seek Jesus with urgency, and ultimately receive him with relief and gratitude. Their story reminds us that God’s grace meets us in our moments of confusion and need.

We are challenged by God’s grace, showing us that this grace clothes us when we feel lost. I have written several times on the notions of doubt as a spiritual practice. In development, it is normal throughout our lives to go through seasons of questioning, doubt and wonder. This is also true in our spiritual development. Just like the woman and lost coin, God finds us. When we feel unworthy, God dresses us in love. When we feel anxious, God wraps us in love. We are forever clothed by God, we never stand naked and we never have to stand ashamed. We are clothed — in compassion, kindness, humility, patience, forgiveness, love, peace, and gratitude.

In these splendid clothes then, we are sent by God to be Christ‑bearers in the world, wearing the garments of grace so others may see the God who finds them too.

May we be people who know where to be found — in the Father’s house — and who wear the garments of grace so fully that the world recognizes the One who has found us.

Amen.