bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
The word bearing here in the original Greek means to hold oneself up against, put up with:—bear with, endure, forbear, suffer. All of us as believers in Christ face trials and challenges. As followers of Christ we are called to bear with one another. To be willing to support and encourage in the midst of suffering. It is a difficult and almost impossible thing to navigate the Christian journey alone. God has so designed this journey that we need one another. Jesus said where two or more are gathered He is there (Matt 18:19-20). Developing intimate relationships with fellow believers is key for success in the Christian journey.
A big part of unity is being willing to forgive one another. Will fellow believers at time wound us and offend us? The answer is yes. The only one who ever existed on this earth who was perfect was Jesus. Jesus lived a life without sin. But there are times when other believers will fall short and they will sin. Sometimes those actions may hurt us and we must be willing to forgive. Jesus even told us if we are unwilling to forgive our brother, our Father in Heaven cannot forgive us (Matt 6:15). That is a very stern warning and we must understand the seriousness of unforgiveness.
Even if someone has a complaint against another they must be willing to forgive and move forward. Jesus high priestly prayer in John 17 all focused on unity in the body of Christ. He prayed that we would be one as He and the Father are one. What truly breaks down unity is unforgiveness and bitterness. We must let go of wrongs and offenses against ourselves. We must learn to not take anything personally. The greatest gift God has given us is being willing to forgive us and offer us salvation. It is not something we have earned or even deserve. But God in His grace has chosen to forgive us.
Prayer
Father help us to walk in love and unity. Help us to forgive when things are done to us that hurt us or offend us. Help us to always remember that we are a people made up of broken and imperfect people. Help us to love as you love and surrender to your will and purpose for our lives. In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.
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