Colossians 3: 12-14
And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
Because we have been chosen by God to be holy and Loved by Him, therefore we are to put on, like getting dressed:
A heart of compassion--allow my feelings to be grieved with the sorrows of others.
Kindness--having a benevolent disposition toward the other person.
Humility--not thinking less of myself, but thinking of myself less; focused on the other person instead of on myself.
Gentleness--being moderate, mild, amiable; not harsh, severe, or rough.
Patience--slow down and give them space to come around in their time, not mine.
Bearing with one another--let them be who they are, they're not me.
Whoever has a complaint--don't look at what I don't agree with; don't criticize or gossip; let it pass and roll off me like water off a duck's back.
Just as the Lord forgave you--just as my Lord took my faults and failings (sins) on the Cross for me, He also took theirs: I must forgive as I have been forgiven.
Put on Love--Love is the perfect Bond of Unity because it is the basis of all Creation, and it permeates everything and wraps it all up, bringing it all to perfection.
God is Love (I John 4:8); everything He does comes from Love, because that is who He is. And He has put His Love into each one of His children, in His Holy Spirit, and we are to show forth this Love in full view of the World.
The World does not understand what real Love is. The enemy has deceived them to think that it is something foreign to the reality that it is.
Real Love is wanting the very best for the one loved, regardless of what it will cost me. It's wanting the long-term benefit for them, even if it means something painful to get there. Even when it costs me severely.
God Loves each one of us so much that He sacrificed His very best most precious, so that we could be with Him. Can we do any less for one another?
Jesus said that when the World around us sees how we sacrificially love one another in His Name, then they will realize who Jesus is, and that He came to save them, too (John 13:35). Whether they accept this for themselves is their own decision.
O my Father, please help me to display to my neighbors the Love with which You have Loved me. Show me how to benefit them, how to help them in ways they need help with. Teach me how to communicate to them Your Truth of who You are: Love.
Help me to be aware of what is going on around me in my world; to pay attention to those who are near me to draw them into my circle of influence, to convince them of who You are and how much You Love them, too.
Use me, Father, as Your hands and Your feet and Your voice speaking Your words of compassion and kindness, bearing with their faults and insults, and having patience with their hesitation, giving them space to turn to You in their time, in Your Time, Father.
Lead me each step, in Your footsteps, my Lord, as I follow You. Enable me to do the works You do; as You, Jesus, did the works You saw the Father doing. Bring me to where You are working, and let me work beside You, hand-in-hand with You, yoked in the same yoke, pulling the same load.
Let me do all the works You planned for me to carry out, to accomplish Your whole Will to complete Your great Plan of the Ages, in Your way, in Your time.
And You will receive all the glory, for it is You who has done it all. You have created, and used Your creature to do what You wanted done, and completed it all.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
