Bear, Forgive, and Live // Colossians 3:13

How often do you have to take a grin-and-bear-it approach to living? We are a relational people and sometimes that’s the best posture one can take. We can get confused with a worldly view of Christianity that we must always get along and that people of faith never have any conflicts. You know how crazy that if you’ve served in church leadership for any amount of time. I think this is precisely why today’s verse shows us that bearing others is also part of the forgiveness quotient. We are all to forgive others, but sometimes we still must do life with people who aggravate us. You know what? The is true of others learning to deal with you. And beyond that, what the Lord has to do with all of us from time to time. Love makes the difference, though, especially as we think about how love covers a multitude of sin (1 Peter 4:8). So, if you have some sticky interactions on the horizon for today, take this wise advice from the scripture. Be patient with others; offer forgiveness; receive forgiveness; and let’s seek to show the world a godly example of what happens when people of faith declare their hope in God is greater than the differences we face in the world.