Early
Thursday morning last week we passed this spacious Amish farm in
Lancaster County. We wonder how many generations were living on the
property.
“Be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2).
We are regularly
reminded of how much division and brokenness there is all around us.
Of course merely listening to the news almost always reinforces this sad truth.
Even reading the daily obituaries can be revealing of the brokenness of
families and individuals, especially as many obituaries these days tell
a story, not just the hard facts of a person’s life. We are seeing more
and more evidence of drug and alcohol problems in our ministry. Today
we read an obituary that contained a very chilling poem written by a 32
year old nearly four years
before her death on February 25, published in our Lancaster Era paper
today. * (Link below)
In the course of our daily walk and service for Christ we speak to a lot of people from all kinds of backgrounds. I recall when I spent a lengthy time giving encouragement and counsel to two
men separated from their wives. This is an issue in so many marital
relationships and undoubtedly includes some of our devotional
readers today. Restoration and health
in relationships always requires mutual effort, desire, and commitment.
Enduring friendships are one of the greatest gifts that God gives to us
right alongside enduring marriages. Any lasting marriage or friendship
requires two characteristics mentioned in our daily text: These
two Christian virtues complement each other: “Be patient, bearing with
one another in love.” They’re needed in marriage and in the home.
They’re also needed in friendships, the workplace, and in the church
body. Actually they’re beneficial in every one of our associations. I
believe enduring relationships of any type absolutely depend on
patience and forbearance.
The Apostle Paul wrote to the community of believers in Ephesus about
church relationships, but these two characteristics speak to every
relationship:
First, Paul calls believers to “be patient”.
The King James Version uses the
descriptive word “longsuffering”. This translates a Greek word
“Makrothumia” which one commentator explains is patience in face of
injustice and unpleasant circumstances without complaint or irritation.
“The short-tempered person speaks and acts impulsively and lacks
self-control. When a person is longsuffering, he can put up with
provoking people or circumstances without retaliating…. It is
holding back, restraining yourself from becoming upset or speaking
sharply or shrilly to somebody be they your mate, your child, or
whoever…despite their conduct you find difficult and exasperating.”
(Precept Austin Online commentary)
The virtues of patience and longsuffering are greatly needed today aren’t they? I am so thankful
for people who have been patient and longsuffering toward me. Aren’t you!
Secondly we are told to be “bearing with one another in love”.
One of the definitions in my Greek dictionary for this word is “to hold
oneself up against, i.e. put up with.” There would have been no
need to write this if “bearing with” was not needed, but it was
essential then and continues to be true for us today, as we are clothed in our human nature, during our earthly sojourn.
Bible teacher David Guzik points out that we need these two
characteristics so “that the inevitable wrongs that occur between
people in God’s family will not work against God’s purpose of bringing
all things together in Jesus”.
And it’s, at least to some degree, a mutual situation
although we often don’t see it that way. You may read this and think,
“Yes, I know exactly what he’s talking about and I sure am bearing with
so and so”, without realizing, from their perspective, they are also
bearing with you!
Among God’s virtuous attributes are His patience and forbearance of
which we are all recipients. Let us practice patience and forbearance
in all our relationships, and thereby imitate Christ as we bring honor
to God.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
