Colossians 3:12-17 (NRSV)
Read Colossians 3:12-17 on biblegateway.com
Verse 12As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Verse 13Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Verse 14Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Verse 15And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Verse 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. Verse 17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Devotion
Paul says, “bear with one another.” Not all that easy to do, is it? We all have moments, circumstances, or people, who make us say, “I can’t bear it anymore!” Maybe especially now, for some the stress of the holiday season is making it all the easier to say we can’t bear it. How do we “bear with one another?” Paul advises that we first remember some things. We are God’s chosen, holy and beloved. God gifts us with tools—compassion, kindness, meekness, patience. God forgives us. Each of these attributes is a gift, a bequest, that comes with belonging to God. For them we can be thankful, sing, teach—all in the name of Jesus, who was compassionate, kind, meek, patient, forgiving, and grateful. The One who bears with us—each of us—always and forever.
Prayer
Thank you, Jesus, for coming to us and choosing to bear with us. Help us bear with each other in your peace, so that we may do everything we do in your name. Amen.
Interested in digging deeper into today’s text?
Read more here.