Colossians 3:13-24 KJV
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
Fathers, provoke not your children to anger , lest they be discouraged.
Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
It's always easy to want the OTHER person to read and adhere to the instruction in the scripture as to how they are supposed to behave. But, you aren't responsible for their behavior, rather if it is good or bad. You are responsible for you, so you can't use their action as an excuse for your own.
The Lord really began convicting me of this a couple months back when my Pastor preached a message about being true servants of Christ and the way we love others is how we love Him. So often in my life I have given the devil way too much control over my responses, using my feelings as an excuse for them. My thoughts have often been like this;
"Well, he shouldn't behave like that" or "well, hello, she's not being very godly when she treats me like that." and lots of times, "I cant help it, I'm only human" And so on and so forth.
Trust me, this truth is not an easy one for me. I am one of the most emotionally driven girls you'll find. My feelings have always been worn squarely on my sleeve; and I have always found it hard to not react to those feelings. But the bible tells me that when I am surrendered to Him, all things are possible.
So, I started praying and seeking The Lord for ways to hang on to this truth...do unto others as The Lord would have you to! Here's the examples I found that convicted my soul of a call to action..
Forgiving friend, love mercy...
Stephen was a man serving The Lord, only to be slain. The people bit him and stoned him to death. And as they did, he said, " Lord, lay not this sin to their charge" (acts 7:54:b)
“When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. And cast him out of the city, and stoned him : and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God , and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” (Acts 7:54, 58-60 )
Or how about Joseph, whose brothers were never fair or kind to him,
" And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him." Gen. 37:4
And even sold him into slavery...
"And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colors that was on him; and they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company ofIsh'maelites came from Gil'e-ad, with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ish'maelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh: and his brethren were content. Then there passed by Mid'i-anites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ish'maelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt." (Gen. 27:23-28)
After all that he suffered, he didn't harbor hatefulness or thoughts of bitterness in his heart...yet in the end showed such a merciful and God inspired love...
"And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance." (Genesis 45:4-5,7)
Forgiveness definitely reigned in the hearts of both these men of God.
Wives, walk humbly with God...
Talk about a husband that was awful to live with. Abigail's husband, Nabal was a very rich man who was well know in the city of Carmel; but he was disrespectful and selfish.
"Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb." (1 Samuel 25:3)
Nabal was even called a son of Belial. He was a disrespectful man with everyone and was especially so when he addressed David’s men with such disregard and ungratefulness. He was just plain rude! This incites David and the young King-elect sets out to wipe out Nabal and his house. (1Samuel 25:10-11 ) Yet Abigail showed great humbleness and preparedness when becoming an intercessor on Nabal's behalf.
" Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn , and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses. "
Now that is being prepared.
"And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be : and let thinehandmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid." (I Sam. 25: 18, 23-24 )
Abigail was a beautiful example of how our actions and behavior can be led by the spirit, and not the behavior of others, pleasing The Lord and Him alone. She trusted in The Lord to have her best interests at heart and in the end, He absolutely did...she became the wife of a King.
Husbands, behave justly...
Hosea's story is inspiring! He was asked of God to love a woman who the world deemed unloveable.
"The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife ofwhoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord . So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son" (Hosea 1:2-3)
It all seemed ok in the beginning with the birth of their first two children; but soon it was clear she had wronged Hosea, committing adultery and having another man's child.
"Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son. Then said God , Call his name Lo-ammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God ." (Hosea 1:8-9)
Gomer eventually leaves him all together to go to someone else.
"For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink." (Hosea 2:5)
But Hosea's heart mirrored the Lord's love when he sets out to find her and bring her home, whatever the cost may be.
"Then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine. So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley: And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee."(Hosea 3:1-3)
Can you imagine the pride that he had to set off to the side? The hurt and betrayal he must've felt? Yet, his behavior wasn't based on his feelings or her actions, it was a refection of his walk with God. Wow!
Children, hearing unto thy father, despise not thy mother...
King David was once just a little shepherd boy. He was the least of his brothers; yet God had a plan. And, he was in the right place to be chosen of God... Had he not listened and followed his father, Jesse's instruction, he wouldn't have been where he needed to be.
"And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn , and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren; And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle. ." (1 Samuel 17:20)
He might not have had the most glamorous job in the family, he was alone most of the time; but he tended the flocks, as he was told to do by his father; giving it his very best knowing that The Lord was on his side.
"And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee" (1 Samuel 17:34-37)
So when The Lord positioned him in the battle of the Philistines, he had a confidence in facing Goliath. As children, we need always behave justly and obediently as unto The Lord!
Parents, lean not unto thine own understanding...
Jesus' Mother, Mary was married to a wonderful man named Joseph! His love for a child not born of his own flesh is a shining example of what it is to walk in mercy. He was a godly example to all parents. He obeyed his Lord and trusted His way was the best way...always!
"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: ". (Matthew 1:18,24)
He could have chosen to not be his father; yet, he loved and protected Jesus just as if he was his very own.
"And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son." (Matthew 2:13-15)
Our savior grew up knowing the love of an earthly father who was surrendered to His Heavenly Father and not to his own fleshly feelings of doubt or fear! What an amazing testimony of a father's love that was rooted in God!
Employee, with good will doing service, as to The Lord...
Abraham's servant must have been a very trustworthy employee for Abraham to send him out on an important journey such as finding the right wife for his only son Isaac. We know from the scriptures that he was a faithful and honest man who sought The Lord in prayer and recognized that he was totally dependent on Him and humble in his thanksgiving!
“And I will make thee swear by the Lord , the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the Lord . “ (Genesis 24:3,10,12,26)
At the end of the day, he didn't get distracted with the difficultly of the task he'd been given. Because of his willingness to do his best and leave the rest in God's hands, he played a most significant role in Isaac and Rebekah's love story I bringing them together...continuing on in bringing about the lineage that gave us our blessed Savior!
"And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death ." (Genesis 24:64,67 )
"The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren". (Matthew 1:1-2 )
Never underestimate what God can do through you at your place of employment! Work as unto The Lord!
So, now can you see why this truth has been awakened within my soul? Why all my pitiful excuses of why I react have kinda flown out the window? All of these people were human just like you and I! They were born with all the same fleshly struggles that we have, yet by keeping their faith firm in God and hearts fixed upon His will, they rose above their emotions and reacted in love; bringing forth such a powerful testimony of God's amazing wonder and grace by doing unto others as they would do unto The Lord!
