Bear With One Another

“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called (how?), with all humility, and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace…” Ephesians 4:1-3

Falling in love with the book of Ephesians. It is so rich, as is the rest of the Word of God. But Eph 4 is my new fav. And the idea of bearing with one another IN LOVE…something has seemed to click and stick with me.

We cannot escape people. No matter how often you may lock yourself away, people will still find you and bother you. It is basically a guarantee. And we will forever be with people. Even in eternity. So, we need to learn to bear.

I use to always think that bearing with one another meant bear with the people who annoy you. we all get annoyed. I have quickly learned, bearing, means so much more than being annoyed.
We need to bear with people, when they have hurt us, when they ARE hurting us, when they are living in sin, in their mistakes, in their hurt, their struggle, their annoyances….etc. Bearing with one another, is showing people love, and grace and mercy no matter what they have done to us, or what they are doing to us at the moment in time. Bearing with one another, has no selfishness in it. It is all selfLESS.
As Christians, I feel we are terrible at bearing with one another in love. and I think the reason is, we forget to look to Christ. We forget how much Christ has bore, and does bear with us.

Ephesians 1:3, we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing. We have everything we need. We have been blessed…with an abundance of grace, mercy, patience, peace, love, kindness, gentleness….so what makes us think that we can get away with not bestowing upon others what has been so bestowed upon us ?!
In the midst of our sin, our mess ups, our failures, our hurt, us hurting others, Jesus bears with us. He bears so much, that he actually died for us.

Surely in honor and to glorify Jesus and what He has done we can bear with others right?!

What it looks like for you, may be different than what bearing looks like for me. I know for me…its not complaining about others. It’s embracing them, and engaging in conversation and prayer. My prayer is that God’s Children will have a heart to bear with each other, and be united.

“…There is one body and on Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:4-6