Colossians 3:13

Colossians 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. Most of us know what forgiving means, but what about forbearing? Well, it’s like this: When I was a little boy, we used to get milk in from a local farmer in Maryland. But the farmer actually worked for the railroad and had hired men to work the farm for him. His wife was the one who sold the milk from her farmhouse. But this farmer’s wife was a talker. My mother hated to go to her farmhouse twice a week to get milk, because Mrs. Harmeyer would talk and talk and talk. I think that she talked a lot because she was alone most of the time. Her husband worked all day, and when he got home, he did his farm work until late in the evening. She had so many words to say and no one to say them to. So she talked and talked and talked to her milk customers. My mother hated to deal with her so much that she made me go inside and get the milk. But that didn’t slow down Mrs. Harmeyer even just a little bit. I was only a ten year old boy, but this lady would talk and talk and talk to me. So here it is: Mrs. Harmeyer was overbearing, but I was forbearing in listening to her talking. I put up with her talking in a kind way. And that is what we must do for troublesome Christians that we might know. We must listen to them and be kind to them even though they drive us crazy. And we should forbear them because that is exactly what Jesus Christ does for us! Jesus forbears us. Jesus puts up with our constant whining and crying. He listens patiently as we complain about other Christians, not realizing that we are guilty of the same offenses! Jesus puts up with us, and we should put up with others too! Jesus forbears us; we should forbear others.