#TuesdayTruth Colossians 3:12-14

Colossians 3:12-14

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

There is something that I think God has been trying to remind me of lately, and I thought that I would use this platform to not only share it, but hopefully encourage you as well. This is one of those things that we read or hear said frequently, but I do not know how often we actually internalize it.

Often, people around us, even those that we think we know well, are going through some very difficult, hurtful, exhausting, burdensome times, and they are struggling silently.

I know that when I am the one going through such a time, it is not my first instinct to reach out, even to my close friends, to let them know what is going on and that I might need support. I also know that this is not the healthy way to deal with the tough stuff in life. I am saying it is my tendency (probably my human nature). In that case, how would any of my friends or family know that I am in a place where I really need them to reach out or lend their support? They do not.

I believe that God intended for us to be a unified people, a people who love each other well, a people who value our brothers and sisters above ourself (Galatians 5:13-14, Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).

So, this is simply a reminder to:

Be kind. Be patient. Give grace.

Pray for your friends, family, and even (rather, especially) your “enemies.” Scripture says it this way: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19).

Let’s be a people who give those around us “the benefit of the doubt.” The next time someone snaps at you, acts selfishly, or acts out of character, make a point to stop and pray for them, as they may be dealing with something very heavy, that you know nothing about.

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the friendships that you give us in this life. Thank you for both the opportunity to show up for our friends and love them the way that you would, and for the friends that we have who have done the same for us. Thank you for giving us specific people, at specific times in our lives. Thank you for sending your son to be the perfect example of perfect love.

We love you,

Amen.