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Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Crosswalk devotional. But we're so

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Speaker 1: glad to have your listening. I'm Michelle Zurich. Today's topic

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Speaker 1: is Clothe yourself with Christ Like traits. We'll be back

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Speaker 1: after work of our sponsor. Clothe yourself with Christ Like

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Speaker 1: traits Written and read by Michelle s La Zurich. Therefore,

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Speaker 1: as God's chosen people, oldly and dearly loved, clothe yourselves

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Speaker 1: with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience class and Surrey

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Speaker 1: verse twelve. When Sunday I got dressed to go to church,

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Speaker 1: I pulled out top after top, trying everything on, but

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Speaker 1: nothing fit. With a pile of clothes and empty hangers

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Speaker 1: on my I became frustrated. Finally, I pulled out a

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Speaker 1: top that was one size too large, a size I

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Speaker 1: had worn when I was several pounds heavier. I put

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Speaker 1: it on. It was perfect fit. Ver month's I breezed

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Speaker 1: by that larger top as I shopped into my closet

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Speaker 1: for the perfect outfit. I didn't want to admit that

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Speaker 1: perhaps I needed a bigger size. However, once I was

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Speaker 1: able to accept that maybe my body wasn't what it

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Speaker 1: once was years ago, and put on the larger top,

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Speaker 1: my frustration subsided. After that day, I made peace with

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Speaker 1: the fact that I needed a larger size and clothes.

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Speaker 1: I got rid of all my clothes that were a

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Speaker 1: size smaller and purchased larger tops. Once I accepted my reality,

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Speaker 1: wearing the larger top wasn't a big deal. In fact,

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Speaker 1: I felt comfortable in it. With clothes, it's not always

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Speaker 1: about the look that's the most important. It is most

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Speaker 1: important about how I feel when I'm in those clothes.

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Speaker 1: I may have needed a larger top to fit my

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Speaker 1: slightly heavier frame, I became so comfortable wearing a larger

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Speaker 1: top that it wasn't even a problem after a few weeks.

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Speaker 1: The above verse tells us that we are to clothe

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Speaker 1: ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, generalists, and patience. These are

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Speaker 1: all the attributes of Christ and a manifestation of the

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Speaker 1: Spirit in our lives. Just like regular clothes we put

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Speaker 1: on each day, it's not always about how they look,

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Speaker 1: but rather how I feel when I'm in them. Even

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Speaker 1: in situations where it's difficult to demonstrate compassion, kindness, humility,

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Speaker 1: generalists or patience, the more that I choose to exude

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Speaker 1: these things in my life. The more comfortable I'll become

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Speaker 1: with them. More I act in accordance with those virtues,

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Speaker 1: the more they will become like a part of me.

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Speaker 1: Soon I won't have to force myself to act within

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Speaker 1: these virtues. It will become a natural part of me.

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Speaker 1: Jesus didn't have to force himself to act out these virtues.

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Speaker 1: It was an embodiment of who he truly was. His

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Speaker 1: character exuded traits of humility, compassion, and kindness, among other things.

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Speaker 1: Jesus desires for us to exude the same virtues in

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Speaker 1: our lives as he did with his, But this takes

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Speaker 1: intention and action. I'm astacked with intention when it comes

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Speaker 1: to putting on these virtues. If I want to clothe

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Speaker 1: myself with these things and must make them feel as

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Speaker 1: if you are a natural part of me, I must

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Speaker 1: exude them and allow them to become part of my nature.

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Speaker 1: When I'm able to do this, they will become such

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Speaker 1: a part of me that I won't even think twice

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Speaker 1: about using these character traits in my life. Out of

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Speaker 1: the virtues listed above, which one do you find most

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Speaker 1: difficult to demonstrate? The most difficult virtue for us is humility.

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Speaker 1: Find ways in which to humble ourselves. It may be

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Speaker 1: as simple as allowing someone else to go ahead of us,

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Speaker 1: even when they have more items to check out at

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Speaker 1: the supermarket. It may mean controlling ourselves when someone cuts

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Speaker 1: us off in traffic. It may mean being kind to

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Speaker 1: someone who doesn't deserve our kindness. Whatever action it may be,

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Speaker 1: ask the Holy Spirit to show us what action and

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Speaker 1: to whom we must demonstrate it. The more we act

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Speaker 1: out of our comfort zones, the more these virtues will

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Speaker 1: become a natural part of our lives. Soon, they will

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Speaker 1: become such a part of us we won't think twice

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Speaker 1: about exuding these character traits in life. Not only is

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Speaker 1: this the true demonstration of christ likeness in our lives,

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Speaker 1: but it may also draw others to Christ because of

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Speaker 1: our actions and attitudes. Father, let us clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, patience,

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Speaker 1: and gentleness. Allow them to become a natural part of

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Speaker 1: our daily lives. Let our first instinct be one of

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Speaker 1: these treats rather than our own selfish desires. Amen intersecting

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Speaker 1: faith and love, which of the above virtues do you

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Speaker 1: have the most difficulty demonstrating in your life? Pray and

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Speaker 1: ask God to show you someone whom you can demonstrate

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Speaker 1: that difficult treat to you today. Further reading Philippians two,

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Speaker 1: verses six to seven.

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Speaker 2: Thanks for listening to today's devotional. If you liked what

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Speaker 2: you heard today, we want to make sure you know

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