Rules for Holy Living

In Colossians 3: 1-17 the Apostle Paul offers the readers of his letter what some have called “Rules For Holy Living”. Within this passage are a couple of verses which have been life changing for me, as I have over the past ten or twelve years adopted verses 12-14 in this chapter as one of my foundational favorites:

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. BEAR WITH EACH OTHER and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (Colossians 3: 12-14)

Since I have taken these verses personally, I have accepted the responsibility to live out what this God inspired passage is encouraging me to do. First, let me say I cannot achieve this noble objective without the power of the Holy Spirit within me, and allow me also to offer this concession… There have been times when I have and times when I will miss the standard I have adopted.

Here is my take on the expectations contained in these words:
– I am a followers of Christ.
– I am loved by an almighty God. He loved me enough to come to earth in human form, experience the hu-man condition, endured the worst circumstances flawed humanity had to offer, died and rose again so that I might have forgiveness and eternal life.
– I have an obligation, a duty, a responsibility to:
     -Be compassionate
     -Be kind
     – Live humbly
     – Practice gentleness
     – Develop patience
     – I am to “Bear with others”
     – I am to be a forgiver, not just for the sake of forgiving, but because God has forgiven me.
     -And above all these exhortations, I am called to love others and love God.

We live in a harsh opinionated and rather uncivil world today. We are obsessed with our informed opinions and superior points of view. We get on our “Big Boy and Girl Britches” and tell it like it is and dare anyone to challenge our enlightened viewpoints which are obviously ordained by god and in the process we come across harsh and uncaring. Some equate this as being bold witness for the faith they profess and many see those who practice Paul’s Colossian exhortation as soft or not taking a stand when in fact they are “bearing with others out of love”.

The political season is upon us. Opinions abound and there will be temptations to make blanket statements and shallow assessments of others. We will also find ourselves tempted to take every “expert” opinion as truth when it fits our personal view.

Lets make it our goal to find our truth in Jesus, his example, his saving grace, and pray that God will help us to bear with each others in love, in our polarized and abrasive society, and during what will be a relentless political season.

Thank you Poplar Springs for “Bearing With” me!!
Andy O