Colossians 3:13- bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others.
Too often we think of forgiveness in the larger areas of someone doing something ‘really nasty’ to us. We also include hurt feelings in this when someone does something that offends.
But I love how this translation puts it: “…happens to have a complaint.”
Wow!
Do I have a complaint?
Oh, yeah.
The way they complain; they way they look; the way they dress; the way they talk; the way they don’t talk; the way they look at me; the way they eat; the way they worship; the way they drive; the way they treat me; the way they treat others; and the list goes on and on, ad infinitum ad nauseum.
It is amazing the number of different complaints we hear from people everyday, especially if you have any kind of counselling ministry.
Here we are told, however, to forgive them.
Forgive the complainers. Then (and only then) can I teach them how to forgive those about whom they complain.
Unforgiveness is like fixing a glass of poison for your enemy and then drinking it yourself. Susan St. James
Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. Suzanne Sommers
The verse ends with a comparison that I too often fail to take to heart: just as the Lord has forgiven me, so I should forgive others.
If He could forgive that which sent Him to the cross, why can I not easily forgive that which only makes me cross?
will u please pray 4 me to accept the things that they do to me… it really hurts me by the things ive found
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Andrea, yes I can pray that you accept the things they do to you. However, I add to the prayer the desire that you accept by abandoning those thoughts — that you refuse to dwell on them, but rather turn your thoughts to others and seek God’s will in how you can help others in their times of need. Preferably times of need that are different than yours.
When we think on ourselves, even in trying to accept what’s been done to us, we are still thinking of ourselves. And that is nothing but a dead end street. Death. You desire, and need, Life. And that will never come as long as you dwell on yourself.
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