WITH EACH OTHER

PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS

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Unless you live alone on an inaccessible island, you will have the joy and frustration of learning how to deal with the oddities and peculiarities of other human beings. People (other than me of course) can be so weird. Being around even the best of us can become trying and tiresome from time to time. And yet, as the family of faith, we are challenged to follow the example of Jesus Christ and learn how to treat others with fairness and compassion. 

In our continuing study of Colossians chapter 3, we come to a set of encouragements for those who dare to deal with others in a Christ-like manner.

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

(Colossians 3:12-17 NIV11)

Love

In verse 12, we were told to take on the habit of choosing to face each day with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. This choice to daily be clothed with these gifts of the Holy Spirit is what drives us to treat those around us in a Christ-like fashion. 

But love, love is the binding force that holds us to those commitments. When we are enveloped in the love of God, aware of his mercy and grace, we become able to share this love with others. The more that we are aware of God’s love, the more that we will desire to love God back. The more that we desire to show love for the Lord, the more we will desire to walk in his footsteps. 

Wrapped

When we are wrapped with God’s love, aware of his sacrifice as expressed to us on the cross of Christ, we find that we are much more willing to show mercy to the people who annoy us and bother us in this life. 

When we are disconnected from his love, focused on our own flesh, dedicated to satisfying our own desires, we find that mercy toward those who wrong us can be in short supply. This is why we must embrace the love of God daily and be clothed with the gifts of his Spirit. 

Bear With

Consider this. Someone in your small group, Bible study, or church service team does something that drives you crazy. You know what I mean. How should you respond?

If we have made the choice to be clothed with the gifts of the Spirit and if we are purposefully connected to the enveloping love of God, then we will simply bear with this odd behavior. We will let the uniqueness of God’s design in that person do its thing without the need to comment or correct. 

If we are wrapped in our flesh and human desires, not connected to the Lord’s gift of mercy, then we will probably have a bad attitude toward that person at best, and at worst, we might do real damage to them that cannot be undone with a simple apology. 

Forgive

In the same way, if we are looking intently into the gift of the cross, all of our sin and shame paid for by the blood of Jesus, then we will be willing to forgive when others offend us. If we cannot forgive those people who need our forgiveness, then can we really say that we have embraced the love and mercy of Jesus Christ?

Horizon

Often we get frustrated with passages like this because they seem to ask more of us than we can possibly deliver. Christ-like forgiveness and bearing with those who seem so different from us are two huge actions that most of us do not feel prepared to do on our own. 

But what if we saw them as points on the horizon, goals to work toward rather than ports of call at which we will one day arrive. If we set our sights on following in the footsteps of Christ, rather than on achieving his perfect righteousness, then all of our actions and efforts will lead us to become the kind of people that the Lord created us to become. 

Set your sights on Jesus and you will not stray. 

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I desire to be wrapped in your love. Filled to the point of overflow. Help me to set my eyes on you Lord and to move toward you with each interaction I have with those you place in my path today. 

In Christ, 

Ryan Laden

PASTOR RYAN LADEN

Works at MTN. CHURCH

Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church

Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at Baylor University

Studied at Texas Tech University

Went to Castle Hills First Baptist

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