Tag: Love

Forgiveness – Colossians 3:12–17

Colossians 3:13 (NIV) – “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

In Colossians, Paul paints a picture of what Christians are actually supposed to look like. Kindness, humility, patience, and forgiveness are not optional traits for us. They are markers of a life shaped by Christ.

Above all of them sits love, which binds it all together and creates real unity among believers. Forgiveness is a natural result of biblical love. Unresolved grievance destroys that unity faster than almost anything else.

This passage is a reminder that forgiveness has to be intentional. It does not happen naturally, and it is often difficult. But Scripture is clear that forgiveness is not a side issue in the kingdom of God. It is a priority.

There are a lot of misconceptions about Christian forgiveness. Refusing to hold anger and bitterness is biblical. Handing someone the keys after they repeatedly crashed my car is not. Forgiveness releases guilt and resentment. It does not require ignoring real results of our actions.

If I want to live in a way that reflects Christ, then forgiveness and love cannot be theoretical. They have to show up in real relationships, even when it costs something.

Show Love – 1 John 4:7–12

1 John 4:9 (NIV)
“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.”

Love is the central issue John is addressing here. Not feelings, not romance, and not vague goodwill, but a love that has a source and a definition. God is the origin of that love, and He made it visible by sending His Son. John is clear that people come to know God, not through arguments or religious performance, but through the way His people love one another. Christian love is not self-generated. It flows out of what God has already done.

What strikes me is that this passage does not really change based on time or context. If I believe that God loved me enough to send His Son, even when I did not deserve it, then that love has to move outward. It cannot stay theoretical. It is not only something to be believed, but something to be lived.

That means love should shape every interaction I have with people. Not just by talking about God’s love, but by showing it through patience, kindness, and grace. I fall short of that constantly. I am human and sinful. Still, this passage calls me to try, to let God’s love be seen through me, even when it is inconvenient or undeserved.

Put on Love – Colossians 3:12–17

Colossians 3:12 – “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

This passage reads like straightforward instruction, and in many ways it is. Paul lays out what a life shaped by Christ should look like, not in abstract terms but in everyday behavior. Forgiveness stands at the center of it. Being forgiven by God while refusing to forgive others simply does not fit within the way God works. Love, gratitude, and forgiveness are not optional traits here. They are commanded because they reflect the character of Christ himself.

What strikes me is how closely thankfulness and forgiveness are tied together. People who are thankful tend to be more generous and more patient with others. They are usually easier to be around. I want to be that kind of person. The challenge, of course, is that this is often hardest with the people closest to me. This passage reminds me that Christlike love does not stop at the edges of convenience. If I want to live in a way that reflects Jesus, then forgiveness, gratitude, and love have to show up consistently, especially at home.