For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit. Jeremiah 17:8
Many people are drawn to fall colors. Fall colors are warm, vibrant, extraordinarily rich, and energetic. I wonder how appealing I am as a Christian? Do other people gravitate to me because I am a warm, vibrant, and inviting person?
Red: When I think about the color of the fall leaves, red is my favorite. There's just something about the trees that are full of red leaves glistening in the sun. It's just extraordinary. They stand out and you notice them. Red brings up the thought of passion. No matter where we are in our Christian walk, I think we all could do with a little more passion for Christ. We should stand out in a good way. We should reflect all that brilliance of Christ.
"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
Orange: The color orange is so beautiful in the fall. We see it in not just the fall leaves, but in those beautiful pumpkins as well. Orange reflects warmth and symbolizes thoughtfulness and sincerity. As Christians that's something we should portray. We should be that warm inviting person that cares about others.
Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32
Yellow: The yellow color of fall makes me happy. Yellow conjures up joy and cheerfulness. I don't really think that if we aren't cheerful as Christians, other people will want what we have. If we have Christ, we should have joy in our hearts and that joy should reflect out through us. It's listed right there in Galatians along with the other fruit of the spirit that we should be bearing.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
Purple: Some of the colors we see in fall are the shades of purple. Leaves we find in the purple family are so striking. Purple is the color of royalty. As Christians, we are royalty in Christ. Our behavior should reflect that royalty. We should be striking as Christians.
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. Romans 8:16-17
Brown: If we didn't have all that brown in the midst of the bright fall colors, I doubt if they'd be so brilliant. Brown represents stability and it anchors all those other beautiful colors of fall. In Christ, we have our anchor. Others can see if we are living for Christ and depending on Him in our lives. It comes out in our actions and behavior.
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. Colossians 2:6-7
Showing Christ through our behavior is so important in our witness to others . Our "colors" do matter. How we act and behave is what people see when they look at us. I hope I grow to have a beautiful, warm, and inviting life in Christ. I don't want Christianity to be hid from the world because of me. I want to portray vibrancy and warmth so that people will want to get to know me and learn about Christ through me.
So, what colors are you projecting?
Scripture to Claim:A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken.
Proverbs 15:13
Adapted from The Inviting Colors of Fall by Julia Bettencourt
