Do you have any idea what it means to “bear with each other . . .”? (Col. 3: 13) It’s a phrase that I realized had little meaning for me, so I began to uncover what Paul might have meant by this phrase. Other translations say “make allowance for each other’s faults” or ”be patient”. The dictionary, however, defined the word “bear” by using the words, “hold up, support, to carry”. I discovered that I could no longer be satisfied with the idea of simply enduring (hopefully with some amount of pleasantness) the mannerisms or behavior of another person that I find annoying, aggravating or frustrating. The call is always to do exactly what Christ did, isn’t it? To love – at all times, in all places, all people, in the way that He loved – with forbearance and forgiveness. It’s just one more way to live out the reality of having ”the mind of Christ”.
