Friday — Bear with One Another
Read: Colossians 3:12–17
SOAP: Colossians 3:12–14
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others. And to all these virtues add love, which is the perfect bond.
Into the Text
Choosing to remain in community with God, our friends, and our family is a daily decision. It takes hard work and intention as we: love and obey; remain in Christ; seek unity; and develop a spirit of humility.
Today’s reading reminds us that all of these things are possible because we are God’s children who are holy and dearly loved. In our own strength, it would be too difficult, but with God nothing is impossible! We are created for community and that means we never have to do any of this hard work alone. Not only that, all of it has a beautiful purpose: we come together with other believers to spread the message of the gospel to everyone who needs to hear it, inviting them into the community God has designed.
Each day we are to reveal the fruit of our time spent close to the true Vine as we display mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love. Each day, it is a choice you make to put on these virtues, just like you decide which shoes to wear or which earrings work with your outfit.
And we don’t choose compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline, forgiveness, or love only for those we find it easy to be around. This verse mentions “bearing with one another,” which isn’t typically something you find yourself doing around those you enjoy. The idea of “bearing” with one another is the sense of enduring something unpleasant or difficult. But God will give us the peace our hearts need to accomplish all that He is asking of us, including enduring with love as we build biblical community with other believers, even in the face of disagreements, differences, or frustrations.
God has given us the tools we need to equip us to live this way, as we read His Word and let it dwell in us. When we go beyond just reading the Bible, when we allow God’s Word to teach, change, and guide us, when we engage with our communities from the overflow of that time spent with God, our response will be worship. And we will be able to love God greatly as we choose each day to bear with one another in love.
