Our scripture this morning is Colossians 3:12-13 (NLT).
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
It’s a strange world we live in. We see the issues that exist but disagree on how to deal with them. Rather than working together, we argue about who has the best plan and often the work goes undone. Author Kellye Fabian writes that this allows “judgement, fear and anger to overtake grace, kindness and humility.”
God has called us to these attitudes and actions that make us look more like Jesus (BibleProject.com). Paul says we must “make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you.” If we go around continually angry at each other, we will never be able to enjoy God’s rest for us.
Paul reminds us that “the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” This seems to be the virtue most lacking in our society today. If Jesus could forgive those who rejected and crucified Him, we can certainly forgive one another as He has commanded.
Patient God, we are sorry for the times we let anger come between us and Your children, knowing this comes between us and You as well. Help us to see one another as Your beloved creation, and work to make all people part of Your kingdom. Amen.
