Our text today is Colossians 3:13:
“Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Some people are easy to love. Others require an extra measure of grace.
Paul’s words—”bear with one another”—don’t dazzle like “rejoice” or thunder like “proclaim.” But they are steadfast, calling us to stick together when personalities clash and patience wears thin.
To bear with someone is to make room for their flaws. It’s choosing compassion over criticism. It’s remembering that the person who irritates you carries burdens you cannot see.
We all need someone to bear with us. We have our blind spots. Our difficult days. Our habits that test others’ endurance. Yet God, in His infinite mercy, bears with us—again and again.
Consider Jesus with His disciples. They misunderstood Him, doubted Him, argued over status and position… yet He remained. He corrected them but never abandoned them. He bore with them, because love isn’t easily broken.
This is our invitation. When walking away seems easier, stay. When someone tests your patience, pray. When relationships stretch thin, remember how far Christ stretched for you.
It may not be glamorous, but it is sacred ground.
These quiet acts of forbearance might just be the holiest work we do today.
I’m Lonnie Davis and these are thoughts worth thinking.