“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on
tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one
another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another;
even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.” (Colossians 3:13 NKJV)
Think about all that you have been forgiven for; every sin
you’ve ever committed from birth. Then
think about the complaint you have against another. How does it stack up? It’s interesting to me that while God
received us just as we were, filthy rags and all, we seem to want to put
stipulations on those who come to us seeking forgiveness. There should be no conditions attached to
such an event, just as God demanded we meet no conditions. Are we greater than God that we should
withhold forgiveness on a whim?
The reason we are to seek to acquire Christ-like
characteristics is because He is fair and kind and just. He is also merciful, humble, meek and
patient. We make many, if not most of
our decisions based on emotions and impulse.
We don’t always reason things out and we certainly don’t think of how
Christ forgave us. We must ask God to
give us the ability to see all others the way He sees them. For starters, we probably need to see
ourselves the way He see us. Righteous
and holy; in right standing due to the price Christ paid on the cross. Let that be our guide regarding how we treat
others, whether in the body of Christ or outside it. Until next time, walk with the King and be a
blessing!
