Colossians 3:13 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
Colossians 3:13 The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson
BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD.
LORD, Please quicken Your Word above at the moment of deciding to act in a given situation; at the moment of old reflexes rising up to be expressed. Give us Your courage; Your Grace; Your will to act as You would in each situation. --In Your Precious Name, Lord, Jesus. Amen.
Hmmmmm . . . bearing with one another. I wonder if that's the same Greek root word involved with bearing one another's burdens. So, we ought to get to the place where . . . HE'S NOT HEAVY, HE'S MY BROTHER.
Sounds like yet again, it's the perspective, our particular framing, our motivation, our focus, our ATTITUDE, the spirit--that we do a thing in; approach a situation in; respond in. He's not heavy--he's my brother . . . bearing with one another.
When the other person's flaw or gritch lands smack in the middle of our sore spot with the sharpest edge or point . . . will we bear with ONE ANOTHER or respond with equal or escalated gritch, fight, pride, stubbornness. I think it was Winkie Pratney [still fighting for his life in a So Korean hospital in need of prayer BTW--had some of his bowel removed and is in major organ failure on dialysis etc.--DRs say can't handle another major complication].
I think it was Winkie Pratney who taught that we ought to respond in an opposite mode to what we are dealt when dealt a less than saintly hand by others. Someone yells--get softer. Someone strikes out harshly--respond with a gentle gift of kindness in word, tone, and/or deed.
WHOEVER HAS A COMPLAINT AGAINST ANYONE; A DIFFERENCE, A GRIEVANCE, AN OFFENSE . . .
Wow, Lord, COMPLAINT takes in a LOT. Anyone? Including those demonized heathen jerks? Or the Christians who act like such? My mirror? Oh. So, I have to forgive all complaints. Even when they don't admit any fault and aren't willing to do anything to make it right? So, they get off Scott free and I have to kowtow and humble myself. Such a deal, Lord.
Me? Whine? Your complaints against me were considerably more? Oh, Dear. You gave your ALL, can't I surrender a microgram's worth of pride pretending it's Mt Everest--in the interest of loving someone desperately needing loved?
By Your strength and Grace and Blood and Spirit, Lord. Only through You.
A difference. Can't I resent someone who merely has the audacity to be DIFFERENT, LORD? I mean, their DIFFERENT THEOLOGY HAS to be stupid and wholesale error and destructive to The Kingdom while mine is pristine saintly and perfect. Forebear difference. Forgive difference. Treat difference as part of Your diverse Creation. Enjoy difference with YOUR perspective. Hmmmm. Only by Your Grace, sometimes, Lord.
I mean, when they take such a stupidly illogical and UNBIBLICAL DIFFERENT interpretation on YOUR WORD! I want to scream. FORGIVE THEN! Right, Lord. Sigh. Love them THEN! Aaaargh. Yes, Lord. I choose to Love them then. HELP, ME PLEASE, LORD. CHANGE ME WITHIN SUCH THAT IT'S AUTOMATIC AND NOT EVEN A STRUGGLE, PLEASE.
AS THE LORD FORGAVE YOU--YOU FORGIVE; READILY PARDONING EACH OTHER; AS THE LORD [FREELY] FORGAVE YOU, SO !MUST! YOU ALSO FORGIVE; FORGIVE AS QUICKLY AND COMPLETELY AS JESUS FORGAVE ME.
WHEW. No light challenge, there, Lord. You forgave to THE UTTERMOST before I was born. How do I reach UP to the toenails on that! NO way to ever top THAT!
But I CHOOSE that, Lord. And you HAVE SHOWN ME that YOU CAN CHANGE ME to make that usually even easy and delightful. Make it more across the board with ALL people types, please, Lord. There's still 2-3 in some situations that it's still not automatic with. And maybe 2-3 where I'd still much prefer to bean them over the head with a good thick Bible instead of forgive them.
But I don't want beaned, Lord. I want forgiven, too. And I do really choose to be like you. I just can't force myself to be like you, Lord. You have to do the inner surgery. Please do as much while I'm asleep as possible, Lord. Regardless, clean me up and conform me to your image ASAP. The years are racing by.
Thanks, Lord for FORGIVING ME, TO THE UTTERMOST; for taking the Sword of The Spirit with me and cutting me off from reaping so much crud that I've sown; for burying my transgressions in Your Blood, at Your Cross; in the sea of forgetfulness.
Hold me close to your heart, Lord. Somtimes the waywardness left in me scares me. I prefer to Love with Your Love and forgive with Your Forgiveness. And when something else leaks or floods out--it scares me that any such was still left. Please finish the job of conforming me to Your image, Lord. That other nature I still haul around with me is not really much fun. Certainly not any healthy lasting fun.
May all those around me quickly feel my deep and broad and intense and authentic forgiveness. IN Jesus' Name. Amen.
[Note: I was a bit taken aback by the big font when it finally posted. I want to have a much bigger than average so the beginning of each day's new ONE ANOTHER is easy to find. But today's just seemed a bit much. But the more I read the different translations . . . and had to focus on only short phrases of each in the filled screen . . . it forced a kind of phrase by phrase meditation which I have found to be very meaningful for me. I hope it's meaningful for at least a few others. LUB]
If you were in a place that no one knew you and you were not wearing a cross or clothing proclaiming some religious idea would the people there know that you were a little Christ by your actions and your words? Would they notice something different about you? Do they carry on like you are just one of the guys or gals telling jokes and using course language? This is a question that each and everyone of us need to ask ourselves. I know I need to do a reality check.
Acts 11:26 26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.