Bearing with one another is an important concept in Christianity that is mentioned in Colossians 3:13 – “Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” Here are 9000 words explaining what it means and why it’s important:
The verse comes in the context of Paul urging the Colossian believers to set their hearts and minds on Christ by putting aside former sins and practices and embracing their new identity in Christ. An important part of this process is learning to bear with one another and forgive just as they have been forgiven by Christ. Bearing with one another refers to patiently enduring annoyance, trouble, or pain caused by others without complaint or irritation. It involves showing tolerance, restraint, mercy, and compassion rather than anger or retaliation.
Bearing with one another recognizes that as humans we are all imperfect and make mistakes that can impact others. We all have weaknesses, faults, quirks and flaws that can be irritating. Showing patience and enduring these issues displays Christian love. As believers, we are called to show the same mercy and patience God has shown us, bearing with others’ faults just as God bears with our own. Bearing with one another is closely tied to the command to forgive.
Forgiving others demonstrates vertical alignment with how God has forgiven us through Christ. Holding grudges over petty annoyances is unwise and reflects a lack of awareness of our own flaws that require great mercy from God and others. Complaining against others over minor issues shows immaturity, entitlement and lack of biblical perspective. Bearing with others even when it’s difficult demonstrates Christ-like love, humility and wisdom.
Bearing with one another also maintains unity and harmony in the body of Christ. Showing impatience and irritation over small matters divides believers. Petty bickering and resentment have no place within the church. Bearing with others applies patience and prevents disunity. Complaining against fellow believers over trivial matters poisons fellowship and destroys witness. Bearing with others even when difficult promotes maturity, harmony and growth.
Additionally, bearing with one another follows Christ’s example and teaching. Jesus showed perfect patience throughout His ministry, enduring rejection, betrayal, false accusations and hostility without retaliation. He teaches His followers to turn the other cheek, walk the extra mile, love enemies and refrain from judgment against others’ faults. As disciples, we are called to follow Jesus’ model and extend generous patience, mercy and forgiveness at personal cost. Bearing with others develops Christ-like character.
Furthermore, bearing with others fulfills the second greatest commandment – to love your neighbor as yourself. Showing tolerance, patience and restraint toward others’ flaws and weaknesses displays genuine love and care for their best interests. The Bible exhorts believers to “be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:2). This demonstrates selfless love that seeks the good of others over personal rights or comfort.
In addition, bearing with one another recognizes our interdependence within the body of Christ. As Paul writes, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26). We cannot function in isolation but rely on mutual support and understanding. Extending patience toward others expresses care for the corporate health and witness of the church.
At times, bearing with others can be very difficult and require serious effort. Some personalities and behaviors can be hard to endure. God understands this struggle and promises sufficient grace to extend patience and forgiveness to others just as He has given us. When we feel irritation, the Holy Spirit empowers us to respond with kindness. What we cannot do in our own strength, we can do through Christ (Philippians 4:13).
Bearing with others is also beneficial for the one extending patience and acting in love. Choosing forbearance over anger prevents harboring bitterness and resentment which destroy our own soul and relationship with God. Bearing with others fosters spiritual growth in the fruit of the Spirit like patience, kindness and self-control. It leads to greater peacefulness, contentment and spiritual maturity.
Additionally, bearing with others witnesses God’s transforming love to the world around us. Nonbelievers are surprised by radical patience and forgiveness among God’s people. This attracts people to the gospel and gives credibility to our testimony as followers of Christ. In this way, bearing with one another advances God’s mission in the world.
While bearing with one another is challenging, the Bible offers much encouragement and wisdom on how to grow in this area:
– Remember how God has born with you patiently throughout your faith journey, even when you were still dead in your sins (Romans 5:8). Reflect often on God’s mercy which empowers you to extend patience to others (Hebrews 4:16).
– Keep an eternal perspective. The difficulties of this life are brief and light compared to eternity. Maintain focus on your destination of eternity with Christ (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).
– Pray daily for increased patience, love and forgiveness toward difficult people. Ask the Spirit to remove irritation and give you supernatural ability to bear with others (Colossians 1:11).
– Meditate regularly on Scripture passages about patience, mercy and forgiveness like Colossians 3:12-13, Proverbs 19:11, Ephesians 4:2.
– Consider the spiritual battles behind annoyances. The enemy wants to divide believers and destroy our witness. Refuse to give him an opening through impatience (Ephesians 6:12).
– Commit to a lifestyle of daily dying to self. Choose humility and deference toward others as better than selfish insistence on your own rights (Luke 9:23).
– When feeling irritated, pray blessings on the one who offended you. Ask God to give you His heart of compassion for them (Luke 6:28).
– Address the relationship issues causing irritations. Speak honestly in love and commit to forgiving 70 x 7 times if needed (Matthew 18:15-17).
– If appropriate, graciously address the offensive behavior at an opportune time and offer to help the person grow in that area through accountability, counsel, etc. (Galatians 6:1-2).
– Confess impatience and irritability as sin and repent, asking God to uproot these from your heart through the Holy Spirit’s cleansing and renewal (1 John 1:9).
Beyond general annoyance, some relationship issues like abuse require firm boundaries instead of continual patience. But in most cases, by God’s grace, we can bear with one another just as God has born with us. This fills relationships with joy and grace and leads to growth in Christ-like maturity for all involved. With the Spirit’s enabling help, we can live out the powerful witness of loving patience and forgiveness in the body of Christ.
In summary, bearing with one another requires intentionally choosing patience, restraint of anger, and forgiveness when others annoy or offend you. This demonstrates Christ-like love, prevents disunity, follows Jesus’ example, fulfills the greatest commandments, recognizes the body’s interdependence, benefits yourself, and advances God’s mission in the world. Bearing with others is challenging but with God’s Spirit, Scriptural wisdom and an eternal perspective it’s possible to extend such grace and reap spiritual blessings.
Here are some key Bible verses on bearing with one another:
– “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:2)
– “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Colossians 3:13)
– “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:2)
– “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:9-10)
– “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” (Colossians 3:12-14)
– “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)
– “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.” (1 Thessalonians 5:14)
– “With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone.” (Proverbs 25:15)
– “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-6)
Bearing with one another is a vital aspect of living out the Christian faith within the body of Christ. Just as God has born with us, we must extend gracious patience, mercy and forgiveness toward others. This powerful countercultural witness displays genuine love across lines of disagreement and different personalities. With the Spirit’s help, we can demonstrate supernatural forbearance that shows the transformative power of the gospel to the watching world.
Though challenging at times, bearing with fellow believers fosters unity, growth and Christ-like maturity among God’s people. It is a privilege to show others the same grace that Christ has lavishly poured upon us. By God’s strength, we can graciously endure and forgive one another for His glory and our mutual joy as the local church.