Forebearance

By David Hamilton

Have you ever dropped the ball, made a mistake, or just blown it? I know I have. As a matter of fact, I have had more than one of these episodes in my life. And as a result of my failures, I have at times felt deep regret and disappointment in myself. I am guessing that you have probably had the same experience in your own life because you are, like me, human and subject to making mistakes. In times like these, we as Christians hope that others who have
faith will respond to us with a willingness to excuse our shortcomings and forgive us for our failures. This action is called forbearance. The apostle Paul says in Colossians 3:12-14
“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, even as Christ forgave you, so you also much do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.” If practicing forbearance is going to work as God intended, then we must treat others as we want to be treated. That is, if we want others to practice forbearance when we fail them, then we much extend forbearance to those who fail us. It is my prayer that we will
all practice forbearance in our lives. It is one of the grandest gestures we can extend to a fellow brother or sister in Christ. Truly, this action, when taken, leads to the development of a strong, loving congregation of the Lord’s people.