Bear with Me, Please
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2
This is not the only time we are encouraged to bear with one another. We are also told to bear with one another in Colossians and I have to tell you they really weren't my favorite verses. I am being called to yet another higher standard. Not only do I have to love my brothers and sisters but also I need to bear with them. This means that when my feelings are hurt, when I am inconvenienced by somebody elses short comings, offended by a thoughtless word, or I am in the company of someone whose mood is less than pleasant I have to put up with them. I need to love them even then, in all their prickly-ness. This is not just loving, but loving unconditionally.
A few days ago when I came across this verse again, I just about skimmed over it with 'yeah, yeah, I got it' running through my brain. But God didn't leave me in my shallow thinking and I felt compelled to take a closer look. The first part of the verse says be completely humble. So this is when irritation is overcome by understanding. (or perhaps if I am going to be completely honest with you, arrogance is overcome by humility). Humility calls us to remember that we are no better than anyone else. In fact, when we are humble and take an honest look at ourselves we have a greater awareness of our flaws and it makes it easier to extend grace and to be gentle in our judgment and treatment of others. We remember that we are simply fellow sinners in need of grace.
Althought it is a simple conclusion that you have probably already drawn for yourself, for me it comes down to this. If I am brutally honest with myself, bearing with my brothers and sisters is not a lot to ask when I think about how often they bear with me.
So true and an excellent reminder! Thx, Gwendolyn!
ReplyDeleteGwen - wow you really hit home on several ongoing conversations we have been having. I am feeling I need to seek more humility. Thanks for sharing this clarity. I love you! K
ReplyDeleteI love this. How easy it is to say something negative about someone who has hurt you, unintentional or on purpose. I shouldn't expect my friends to always be pleasant and kind toward me. We are all sinners and have our own emotional baggage to deal with. Instead of reacting with anger, I need to remind myself how imperfect I am. It hurts to be ignored, or looked down on, but I wonder how often I have made someone else feel inferior and not even know it. Thank goodness for God's word and these reminders!
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