Give thanks, have patience and forgive

"And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light."                           Colossians 1:10-12

"Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."
                                    Colossians 3:11-13

These two passages from Paul's letter to the believers in Colosse really sum up the life God wants us to live. First, we are to give thanks to Him who has given us everything we need. We should always be cognizant of the gifts of God no matter what the situation, good or bad. We must never forget God's love for us and the promise of eternal life through His Son on the cross.

Second we are to have patience. This can be interpreted many ways, all of them relevant. We are to be patient with our neighbors, and Paul emphasizes that this is not just those that are like us. We are also to have patience with God's plan for us. Both of these are hard for us, as the devil constantly tempts us with situations that will pull us out of being patient. Worry and fear often outweigh our patience for God's plan. Doubt sometimes has us wondering if being patient and waiting for God's plan for us would turn out better than if we attempt to create our own plan. Worry, fear, doubt. These are all the work of the devil. Stand firm in your faith in God and reject the devil's temptations. Pray for patience and the will power to defeat the devil's ways.

Last, we are to forgive. This is one of the hardest things to do because true forgiveness as shown to us through Christ means not only words, but also actions. The action to forgive and forget. Let that sin against you disappear, never to return. It is hard, but we must pray and remember that through Jesus' death on the cross all of our sins are forgiven and forgotten. For the death on the cross made us holy in God's eyes as He sees us through Jesus. He forgets our sin and allows us to enter His kingdom of eternal life.

God Bless you as you make it through the middle of this week.