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. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:12-15 ESV)
Our Messiah gives us this promise before He ascended to His heavenly throne. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”[1] He command to us is to take His Word out into all of this world in effort to being others to the knowledge of Salvation. Through our living example, we are to serve as teaching disciples demonstrating how we are to live in accord with the truth of His word. But in our own efforts, can we ever hope to accomplish this with integrity? The answer is clearly no. We do not have the wherewithal to accomplish this without the help of Jesus. It is for this reason that He tells us that He will be with us until the end of the age. He will walk with us as we endeavor to follow His lead. He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deut. 31:6; Joshua 1:5; Isaiah 41:10-13; Hebrews 13:5).
Jesus will be with us as we walk out our faith, carrying His Word and bringing truth to others. He will bear with us as His people. In the verses we have been studying, the Apostle Paul suggests this very thing. As our Savior bears with us in our walk of faith, so too must we bear with one another (Col. 3:13). We are to endure alongside one another as we all do our best to follow our Messiah. In other words, put on then: forbearance. As disciples of Jesus a condition of our character must be patient endurance. We must exert self-control even in difficult situations for His glory. This again is not something we could accomplish by our own strength. It is only through the enduring presence of Jesus who equips us in forbearance.
In our faith, we act as His body (1 Cor. 12; Eph. 4; Col. 1). We have been baptized into One faith in Jesus, but unto each one He has imparted diverse gifts to be used in service to His people, each one a valued member of the greater call to proclaim the Gospel of truth. As Paul tells us “For the body is not one member, but many (1 Cor. 12:14 NASB95).” Each of us in our own unique gifting is called to serve alongside of one another. In forbearance we are to serve with humble devotion toward Jesus. We must humbly submit to His authority in our lives, knowing that He is working all things together for those who love Him (Rom. 8:28).
Jesus has given us His Word to carry. Think about that just for a moment. Almighty God, the Creator of the universe, the One who spoke all things both seen and unseen into existence through the utterance of a Word, has trusted us to be witnesses (Col. 1:13-23). The Lord has placed the Word of Salvation in our hands to carry forth. Let us then do this with joy knowing that our service with be to His glory. Let us serve with integrity, recognizing that we are ambassadors representing the hope found in our Lord. And finally, let us walk in reverence. We carry His Name. We proclaim His Word. We are living testimonies of His Salvation. Be such with reverent honor and devotion to your Savior and King! In forbearance serve alongside of one another knowing that in our service, we truly bring glory to Jesus.
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. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:12-15 ESV)
We live in a world that is often mandated with busyness. There is busyness in daily lives, busyness in responsibilities to employers, friends and various obligations. Technology can be a benefit to help manage some of the demands of the day. However with the advancement of technology, the world is growing all the more close. This is both good and bad. It is good in the sense that we are given the opportunity to connect with family and friends more readily. In addition, technology allows us to accomplish things far quicker. What would have taken weeks or days to accomplish years ago, can now often be accomplished within moments. The speed at which we can communicate has increased dramatically with the plethora of devices, apps, and tech to expedite communications. Well, maybe communication is too strong a word to be used in this context. Possibly a more accurate way to describe communication through technology is that it has increased our capacity to send and receive messages. The increased capacity to send and receive messages elevates within us pressure to respond. Though seemingly insignificant those not yet responded to messages on our various devices can increase the sense of busyness in that we can feel as if there is always one more thing to accomplish. We are artificially pressured to stay connected.
The downside of advanced technology and the closeness of our world is also detrimental in that it exacerbates our expectations. We want answers, solutions and work to be accomplished with the utmost expediency if not immediately. We get frustrated if we need to wait for an answer. Thus we invent ways to get us the answer we desire faster and according to our demand, and the feeling of constant busyness increases. We have placed artificial and self-imposed deadlines that reinforce the feeling of constant busyness. With this elevated feeling of busyness, it becomes more difficult to allow our minds to be quiet. The closeness and the demands of our modern world often fills our minds with self-imposed deadlines, pressure and persistent noise.
Yet as close as technology seems to draw us in its capacity to connect, we are increasingly drifting farther apart. The ease of communication or again should I say sending and receiving messages has allowed for the human to slip toward an existence that is becoming far too isolated. With the alacrity of sending and receiving messages and the demand for responses, we are growing all the more impatient and distant. Impatient with slow answers. Impatient when we need to wait. Impatient with others and even impatient with ourselves. As we become more and more impatient, we also become more agitated and anxious. No doubt the increased busyness that seems to be an inescapable part of life is being used by the enemy to cause us to suffer with increased impatience and anxiety. The enemy strives to breed discontent in the human. In our discontent, we are enticed to harbor anger and resentment because we have grown far too impatient to wait upon the Lord trusting in His leading. We are becoming far too impatient to abide with Him and to abide with one another.
It is for this reason that we must pay all the more attention to the Word of our Lord and to our faith. As the Apostle Paul reminds us in the verses we have been working through, we must be willing to be patient. It is patience that our world desperately lacks. And it is patience that we must willingly choose to put on. We must be patient. We must actively recognize how easily the feeling of busyness can overwhelm us causing us to become frustrated with others, situations and the self. In our frustration we can easily fall into the trap of reacting which typically causes things to grow far more difficult. Patience is an attribute given by God that is essential for us to put on seeking His help in walking it out. As the Lord is gracious and patient with us. We must seek His council to equip us with patience as well. It is in our willingness to wait upon the Lord that we will be equipped with strength to endure.[1]
Too often we demand of others much more than we even demand of ourselves. Then when the other does not meet the exaggerated expectation we have placed on them due to our lack of patience, we lash out in frustration. The lashing out can bring chaos and brokenness within our relationships. This again is exactly what the enemy desires to afflict upon us. he wants us to suffer brokenness. he wants us to wallow in the anxiety and the fatigue of busyness. he wants our minds to be so full of the noise of the day that we choose not to listen for the leading of our Messiah. he wants to exhaust us mentally so that we give up the abiding in Jesus.
Brothers and sisters, we are all works in progress. Not one of us is perfect, but to the glory of God He is patient with us.[2] He sees our struggles, hurts, disappointments and fear. He does not condemn, rather He equips and builds us up. We all must be willing to wait on the Lord. Willing to allow Him time to work and willing to allow ourselves time to receive what the Lord has done. We must be willing to be patient with one another, stiving to walk together in the bond of Jesus. He has drawn us together to be a testimony of His Salvation. Let us not then disgrace His mercy because of our impatience. Pray to the Lord to help us bear with one another in love.[3] Lastly, we must be patient with ourselves. We must cling to the hem of His garment as He works to help us to see the person that we have always been. A precious child of our Eternal King! In Jesus we are saved. In faith He helps us to know who we truly are.
It is for this reason that the Lord gives us the reminder of putting on patience. Lacking patience causes us to react to the stresses of this life rather than respond to them with confidence in our Lord. When we allow ourselves to react rather than respond, we often cause further calamity. Therefore be patient. Humbly follow your Messiah. We must choose to be patient as the Lord works to bring all of us to where He wants us to be. To God be the glory!
This blog was written by my wife and ministry partner, Kelly. I am blessed by the Lord to have been given a wife who is a continual support to me and my family. She has a kind heart of empathy and service. She stands alongside of me as we strive to serve our Savior and King, Jesus. May He help us to humbly follow His lead in order to proclaim the mercy, grace and love of our Messiah. I am honored to be able to share the thoughts Kelly has written with you. I pray that you are blessed and encouraged in the reading.
We live in world full of confusion, chaos, opinions, and disagreements. No matter which way we turn, we cannot get away from conflict. We don’t have to look far to see that it is everywhere- throughout the world and within our own families.
I have recently been very encouraged by Isaiah 41. Verse 10 reads, “‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’” This scripture paints a beautiful picture of God’s ever present help in unsure times. When we are feeling anxious we do not need to look around for help. Our heavenly Father promises to be there and uphold us with His righteous right hand.
This promise brings great comfort to me. It reminds me of when my children were small. When they felt unsure or afraid, they would stand at my knees and reach up asking to be held up in my arms for safety and protection. Once I lifted them up out of their situation, they immediately felt comforted and safe. Sometimes we as adults need that too. There are times that we feel overwhelmed by the situations we face. Jesus tells us we don’t have to fear because He will uphold us, take us out and above our current situation into the presence of His righteousness. These verses remind me of a very familiar hymn of praise. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”
The next time you feel afraid or hesitant, come into the presence of your loving Father. He longs to help and shield you. “The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.” Psalm 28:10
Painting by Gérard Douffet, Taking of Christ with the Malchus Episode, 1620
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. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:12-15 ESV)
Following humility, the Apostle Paul encourages believers in Jesus to be meek. Depending on the particular translation of the Bible you are using, this word meek is sometimes translated as gentleness. Paul instructs the people of faith to be meek or gentle in conduct and attitude. At times we can diminish the fullness of what Paul is attempting to convey to us with our misunderstanding of what it means to be meek. Often this concept is associated with weakness in the sense that we are blown to and fro by anything and everything that comes against us. Modern applications of the characteristic meek can be thought of in such ways, but this is not what Paul is suggesting.
I have often heard the term meek compared to that of a Roman warhorse, if we are attempting to draw closer to a Biblical understanding of the characteristic such an application is appropriate. A Roman warhorse serves as a physical example of power under control. The warhorse is a formidable, capable and strong animal. It is adorned with all of the articles of war, an intimidating weapon imposing fear in the opposition. Though the horse is incredibly powerful, it has been trained. The horse responds to the commands of the rider. It could easily break free from the command of the soldier in charge of the animal, but because it has been trained to focus on the task at hand, the horse remains to be power under control.
We see the example of power under control in the conduct of our Savior, Jesus. The night prior to His crucifixion, He was in the garden praying. It was here that Judas betrayed our Lord. As the soldiers sought to arrest Jesus, Peter drew his sword cutting off the ear of the one taking hold of Jesus. Immediately Jesus rebukes Peter’s actions, and heals the soldier. Jesus demonstrates the concept of being meek in his rebuke to Peter. He says, “Do you not think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and He will at once send Me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the scriptures be fulfilled, that it may be so (Matthew 26:53-54 ESV)?” Jesus retains the capacity to utterly level His enemies at the mere expression of a word, yet He chooses to remain focused on the purpose of His first Advent. In this first appearing of our Savior, He came to willingly go to the Cross to offer Redemption to all who believe (John 10:17-18). Jesus did not allow the trial of the situation to distract His focus from walking toward His purpose. Power directed to accomplish His promise.
Another example of meekness, power under control, given by Jesus is found in the book of Luke. In chapter four, Jesus is in the synagogue on the Sabbath. He picks up the scroll of Isaiah and reads the words declaring the promise of our God to bring good news to the poor, sight to the blind and freedom to those who are oppressed (Luke 4:16-30). Upon reading the words of the prophet, Jesus rolls up the scroll and declares that the promise in the Scripture has been fulfilled at the hearing. Jesus proclaims that He is the One who has come to be the fulfillment of the promise given. At these words of Jesus, the crowds listening became enraged with wrath. They drove Jesus out of the town to a cliff. They intended to throw Jesus off of the cliff as a result of the rage that filled their blood. Jesus, in response to the rage levied against Him, simply walks through the crowd. He did not threaten, argue or attempt to fight any of those who sought to bring harm. He simply walked through them. He did this because His focus was on the greater purpose of His coming. His focus was on accomplishing the will of the Father. Jesus did not allow Himself to be distracted by the conflict in front of His eyes, because He came to fulfill a greater purpose. That purpose being the Savior of His children. He could have called legions of angels from the father to come down to destroy the voices berating Him with hatred, but instead He chose to remain meek, power under control.
It would serve all of us well to take the example of meekness given by our Savior in earnest. Our flesh is weak (Matthew 27:41). Too often we are enticed to react to hardship, affliction, anxiety stress with anger or frustration. In our flesh we lash out due to the feeling that whatever we are going through is too great a challenge for us to experience. The difficulty of the trial causes us to lose focus on our Savior. Rather than determining to keep our focus on our Messiah, the One who can provide the Help we need, we allow our focus to be arrested by the struggle. We begin to pay attention to the hardship, looking at the faces in the crowd rather than upon the promises of our God (Luke 4:16-30). The conflict, confusion, chaos steals our focus away from our Hope, and this can lead to a deeper feeling of despair. Rather than walking through the crowd empowered with the Hope of Jesus, we allow ourselves to be swallowed up in the calamity. The voices of the crowd drawing us closer to destruction. In this circumstance, we can begin to feel hopeless, lost and overwhelmed. Just one of many in a crowd of calamity without any relief. It is this sense of despair the enemy of our souls desires for us to come to know. he wants us to feel as if we are without hope and then to give up and give in to the chaos of the crowd. he thirsts for us to give up and allow the mob to push us over the edge of the cliff of brokenness. he wants us to forget that we have a Savior who walked through the crowd demonstrating meekness, power under control.
In this life we will have tribulation (John 16:33). Jesus tells us very plainly as much. But He does not tell us this to bring fear into our heart. He tells us this to remind us to be meek in His strength. To remain in control, with His help, even in those moments that seem impossible. Jesus reminds us through His example to not allow the voices in the crowd to distract us from our purpose or from the Hope we can receive in our Messiah. It is only in Jesus that we can find peace amid chaos. In this life we will have trouble, but take heart because He has overcome. I know that in the midst of a trial it can be difficult to stay your focus on your Redeemer and Lord. Jesus knows this as well. And He promises to sustain us with His joy. He tells us in the book of John:
“But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth (John 17:13-19 NASB95).”
Jesus gives us His Word so that we may find His joy. This is a joy that is not conditional based upon situations or circumstances. This joy is transcendent because it comes from a Risen Savior who loves us and looks over us. It is a joy in knowing that He has covered us under His wings (Psalm 91) and He keeps us in the palm of His very hand (John 10:28). The prayer of Jesus is not that we completely avoid difficulty, but that His joy would sustain us even through difficulty. From our frail human perspective, this does not even make sense. Yet we can all remember times of trial in our testimony and recognize the presence of our Messiah in the midst of the crowd alongside of us. I pray, beloved, that you remember to stay your focus on the One who can reveal hope, joy and peace that is far beyond anything that this world can comprehend. I pray that you remain meek as in the examples given through the life our Savior. Remain focused, power under control, even in the middle of difficulty.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.[1]
Our Savior has overcome! Allow His Light to be your guide in those times that seem impossibly dark. Know that He holds you in the palm of His mighty hand (Isaiah 41:10). To God be the glory! AMEN!
[1] Lemmel, Helen, H., “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”, 1922. Based on Hebrews 12:2
This blog entry was written by Mandie. I consider Mandie and her family as dear friends and fellow servants of the Lord. They are members of Mount Zion Road Church and most importantly, they are faithful followers of our Lord and King, Jesus Christ. I am thankful and blessed that she was willing to allow me to post this entry on my website. Mandie encourages all of us to recognize the covenant relationship we can have with our Savior, Jesus. This relationship is one that we must pursue intentionally and with purpose as we grow in faith. I pray that you find her words to be a blessing as you read. To God be the glory!
In the early hours of the morning I like to go outside and listen for the birds and the cows from the nearby farm. I will close my eyes and just take in the many sounds. I like to imagine that the animals are giving praises and thanks to God for another day, just as we do. “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it!”[1] One morning as I was reading God’s Word I came across a verse that brought a big smile to my face, for it was as if God met me in the quiet of that morning and gave wisdom to me relating to something I do every morning- listen for His creatures to “speak”. From Revelation 5:13:
“And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
The context of this verse is right after John is weeping that there was no one found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it and one of the elders said to him, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that He can open the scroll and its seven seals.”[2]
Backing up in verse 11, first many voices of angels are proclaiming in a loud voice the worthiness of the Lamb. Then the animal kingdom joins in! It is breathtaking to me to think of all the creative animals that God has created on this earth and, as this verse points out, in heaven as well. To God be all honor and praise!!
I can remember a time, years ago, when I was not as eager to hear the birds singing their loud songs in the morning. I viewed it as more of a disruption to sleep but now they are welcome sounds that I cannot wait to hear. As you think back through the years of your life, can you think of an example of something that you used to not appreciate as much as you do now? When there are times that God gives a sight or a sound that is out of the ordinary, I am awe inspired and thankful! He just gave me an opportunity to give Him thanks for an unusual sight the other day- while driving, and just minutes from my house, we saw two small huddling and scared raccoon kits and then around the next curve, we saw a fox dash out from one field to the next. An instance of a sound is that last summer, as I was the last to remain around the burning embers of a campfire in the woods, I heard the faint but distinct call of a wild turkey. I remember it giving me much joy to hear that beautiful sound! Most of us do not know what the different sounds animals make mean but as the verse in Revelation 5 points out one day they will be understood to be giving honor and glory to our great God! I am thankful for His gift of creatures!
“Let them praise the name of the Lord!
For He commanded and they were created.
And He established them forever and ever; He gave a decree, and it shall not pass away!
Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling His word!
Mountains and hills, fruit trees and all cedars!
Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds!
Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!
Young men and maidens together, old men and children!
Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven. He has raised up a horn for His people,
praise for all His saints, for the people of the Israel who are near to Him.
The photo was taken by my daughter Ali. She has recently completed a degree in media production and is currently working as a photographer. She is a visual story teller with the gift of creativity. Glory to our Lord, Jesus for allowing her to work in a field that encourages creativity. Glory to God for placing us in such a beautiful world, and yet we know that this life is but a shadow of the wonder of His Eternal Kingdom!
This blog was written by my wife, Kelly. I am humbly and inexpressibly thankful to our Lord for giving me such a caring, empathetic and loving wife. It is both a privilege and honor to be able to serve the Lord alongside of her. She truly is a ministry partner. She is a woman who is filled with wisdom and compassion. I praise the Lord for her love and care in both ministry and our family life. To God be the glory! I pray that her insight is a blessing to you as you read her words.
Just recently I read a very encouraging article based on Philippians 3:4-9. It speaks of Paul’s credentials and many achievements which would qualify him for the ministry. Paul writes, “For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Messiah.” He compares his life’s work to the privilege of knowing his Savior.
The article then brought into focus our own lives and the many things that we hold so dearly- our accomplishments and achievements asking the question: do “they draw us closer to Messiah or distract us from Him”? The article went on the point out, “When our worth is rooted in our achievements, we miss the liberating grace found in what Jesus has already done.”[1] What a powerful thing to consider. When we give ourselves too much credit, essentially we take away from the grace of Jesus.
After considering these things, I realized that we are not our achievements. Our successes should be the vessels that allow us to spread the gospel. They should be the very things in our lives that point others to Jesus. God gives us opportunities and achievements as a way to shine His light in different ways. These successes help point us to walk out His plan for our lives. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10).
Some people may say I see the glass half empty, but I think there is value in thinking about things from different perspectives. While our achievements don’t define us, neither do our failures. Achievement and successes have importance in our lives, but I believe failure has purpose as well. Throughout our lives we will experience failure. We must remember that when those times come, we cannot allow failure to define us any more than we allow success to define us. Sometime through failure we come to realize that His Grace is sufficient for us. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
No matter what we face, whether it be success or failure, may it all point to the glory of Jesus in our lives. It is then that we will learn to be content in all situations. To God be the glory!
This is the latest episode of Kingdom War Room with Dr. Michael Lake, Dr. Mike Spaulding and myself. In this episode we talk with Dr. Igal German regarding the imperative to take our faith seriously. I encourage you to take the time to listen. To God be the glory!
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. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:12-15 ESV)
Continuing in this exhortation by the Apostle Paul, we are encouraged to put on humility. As the people of God who are called loved, precious and chosen, we are to walk in humility. This is a vital aspect of our walk of faith. We are to humbly submit ourselves to the authority of our Lord and Savior, Jesus. We are to humble ourselves to His Lordship in our lives as an act of reciprocal love that was first demonstrated to us.
I have been reading through a short book titled, Humility: The Journey Toward Holiness by Andrew Murray. Actually this is the third time reading this book, I have found it to be encouraging. In the book Murray addresses humility as an aspect of our discipleship. He considers humble submission to the authority of Jesus as a “distinguishing feature of discipleship.”[1] I agree. As we choose to follow, we must seek the Lord to help us walk in humility. Our attitude of humility is not generated through efforts of the flesh to be humble. For Murray humility must become “a distinct object of continual”[2] prayer. Petitioning the Lord to help us humbly submit to His Lordship in our lives should be spoken daily from our lips. Humility is not an attitude acquired and then stored away for a rainy day. It is found only in the continual recognition of the authority of Jesus. It is only in recognition of the love lavished upon us in the redemption of our very souls bringing life to death. It is only when we truly attempt to grasp, admittedly in our human frailty, at the profound love of God given for those who choose to receive His gift of mercy. Humility then is not an act of the human will, but a recognition of grace. It is not necessarily hardship or the struggle with sin that truly brings us to a place of humility. It is love. As Murray wrote, “it is not sin that humbles but grace.”[3] This is profound. It is in the reception of grace that we can begin to grasp at humility. It is in the recognition that our Messiah first humbled Himself to the penalty of the Cross so that we might live. Therefore, humility is not something we bring to God, rather it is something He imparts upon us in our willingness to allow Him to speak into our hearts.
Humility comes from the recognition of our utter inability to save ourselves from the curse of sin. Humility comes when we begin to recognize our weakness and in turn seek His strength. Humility is realized at the reception of an unimaginable gift of grace given through His humility. Murray compares humility to that of water, “Just as water seeks and fills the lowest place, so the moment God finds the creature empty, His glory and power flow in to exalt and to bless.”[4] When we come to a place where we are empty of ourselves, the Lord rushes in to fill us with mercy and grace. It is in our lowest place where the Lord offers us hope because of His humility. When we are empty of pride, empty of self-centered desire, there our Messiah lifts us up. Seek humility. It is when we allow the Lord to help us walk in humility that we truly begin to follow.
Thank you to my daughter Ali for providing the photo for this blog.
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. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:12-15 ESV)
Put on then- kindness. The Apostle Paul encourages his readers to add kindness as a condition of being. Kindness should season how we walk out our faith in humble submission to the authority of our Messiah, Jesus. The children of God are to adorn themselves with kindness as an expression of faith. This done in response to the kindness of God extended to us as He came to this earth to rescue us from sin. While we were yet sinners, enemies of God, Jesus came to us to deliver us from the bondage of sin. It was Jesus who exhibited kindness to us that is beyond description. Therefore out of reverence for our King, we too should express kindness according to our faith.
But how is kindness expressed? If we attempt to define kindness according to human reason, we will yield diverse definitions based upon personal preferences. Kindness defined by the human will be stricken with uncertainty as all humans have slightly varying perspectives regarding what it is to be kind. It is therefore essential that we define the term kindness according to the Word of God. In the verses listed above, the Apostle Paul instructs us to adopt kindness as a characteristic of our faith. In the Greek the word kindness used in verse twelve is: χρηστότης (G5544- khray-stot’-ace, Kindness).[1] This word is defined as moral goodness, integrity. Already we can see parameters established within the definition to help us understand what type of kindness we are to adopt. We are, as defined by God, to put on kindness or in other words moral goodness. We are to walk with integrity as living witnesses of the authority of the Lord in our lives. To be kind does not simply suggest expressing a kind gesture to others, kindness should become a guiding principle informing our character. We are to be kind. We are to seek moral goodness as defined by the Word of God so that we can be people of integrity. We are to humble ourselves to the authority of the Lord and allow Him to direct our steps which are seasoned with kindness, integrity. We are to do our best to apply kindness to our lives as an expression of the kindness we were given by our Redeemer. This act is not done out of selfish ambition, rather it is done to honor our Savior.
As children of our God, we are to follow His lead and be informed by His Word. The Lord declares to us what is required of His children. His instruction to us is recorded by the prophet Micah. “He has told you, O man, what is good;And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?”[2]Accurately the prophet Micah declares the instruction the Lord has given to us defining our walk. The Lord defines what is good in the context of our response to Him. One of the aspects of good as defined by God is to love kindness. This thought connects back to what the Apostle Paul tells us in Colossians. We are to put on kindness or as recorded by Micah, we are to love kindness. The term kindness in the Hebrew is the word חֶסֶד (H2617- kheh’-sed, Kindness).[3] This is a beautiful term. It is used throughout the Hebrew Scripture and it is most often used as an expression of mercy. The prophet Micah reminds us that the Lord requires of us to not only be merciful, but to love mercy. To love חֶסֶד- kheh’-sed. We are to love mercy because mercy was shown unto us. It was out of the love of our Savior that we were first shown mercy. It was His joy to go to the cross to win us back because of His love.[4] Our Savior went to the cross for joy. This is incomprehensible to us. While we were yet enemies of God as conformed to our sin nature, Jesus filled with חֶסֶד- kheh’-sed chose to endure the cross as an act of indescribable love for us. It was His joy to endure the suffering because He knew that His suffering would bring about the ultimate act of mercy leading to Salvation.
We are recipients of חֶסֶד- kheh’-sed, the lovingkindness of our Messiah poured out for the whosoever. The mercy of Jesus extended to those who would receive His mercy is a demonstration of His love for us, His children. Therefore, seek to walk in kindness, חֶסֶד- kheh’-sed. Seek to be a living expression of the kindness that was first given. Jesus gave us of His kindness. He gave us of His mercy in the suffering that He endured on our behalf. As His people it is only fitting that we act in reverence for our King showing kindness to others. This is an act that can bring those who need mercy to the One who has shown mercy, Jesus. This is an act that can comfort those who need to receive comfort as only the Lord can provide. Allow kindness as defined by the Lord to define you as His child. To God be the glory!
Thank you to my daughter Ali for providing the photo. This photo also serves as the cover image for a Bible study I recently completed writing titled: Appointed Times. In this study, the Appointed Times of the Lord are examined. The festivals described in the Hebrew texts are connected to the revelation of Jesus our Savior. Each set apart event serves as a picture of Jesus. The Hebrew Scripture reveals the promises fulfilled in our Messiah. Throughout the study the entirety of our Bible is examined to bring this truth to light.
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. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:12-15 ESV)
Put on then compassion. The Apostle Paul reminds us to choose compassion. But not only to make a choice to act compassionately, He encourages us to adorn ourselves with an attitude of compassion. This is an attribute that must be present in our character. Compassion is an expression of our faith demonstrated externally. In faith we are able to express compassion in an accurate manner as our faith is defined by our Messiah. This is something that we must always remember. Because Jesus extended to us compassion, so to must we allow compassion to direct our walk as defined by the Lord. As people of God we are to present ourselves as a living witness to the mercy, grace and transformation provided by our Savior.[1] It is then imperative that we remain tethered to the Word of God which offers correct definitions for our walk of faith. I use the word tethered intentionally. We must, this is not a choice, we must remain tethered to the Word of God as we endure the trials we face in this life. To be tethered to the Word is a fundamental condition of our being a child of our King! It is only by His Word that we can walk in the Light to find discernment.[2]Apart from His Light we walk in darkness. It is again vital that we remain tethered to the Word of God as a standard defining our faith so that we do not drift away from the Only source of true Light.[3]
As God’s chosen ones we are to put on compassion. Allow your heart to be conditioned with compassion. Not only will compassion condition how we interact with one another, compassion will equip us in humility. To be a person of compassion requires humility. Compassion is a product of humility. Out of the heart of the one who humbles themselves under the authority of Jesus, compassion will bloom. As we grow to recognize the depth of the love of our Savior, the length He went to redeem us His children, the utter frailty of our fallen human condition is clearly revealed. We come to know the absolute inability to overcome the afflictions of the sin nature. The absolute inability to save oneself aligns the heart toward humility because we can begin to rightly see the humility of our Messiah. Jesus humbled Himself to deliver us from the frailty of our fallen self. He did this while we were still enemies in bondage to the sin nature. Yet just at the right time our Savior extended His almighty love to us delivering from death to life.[4] To Him belongs all praise and glory!
Beloved, we endure a world that is rife with trial. We are afflicted by trial in many forms. Unfortunately, trial will be present until our Messiah returns or we are called to our eternal home where the trials of this life will cease to afflict the children of God. I remind the reader then to choose compassion. Allow compassion to condition your heart. Remember the compassion first demonstrated to us from Jesus. It was His compassion to save us that brought Him to walk among us. Humble yourselves under His authority. Trust in His mercy to save. Trust in His power to deliver. Trust in His peace to equip you with the strength to endure the trials of this life. Cry out to Him when in need of a voice to quiet the discontent of the human heart. It is only in Jesus where we can find hope to endure.
Lastly, recognize the limits of our human other. Adorn yourselves with compassion resulting from humility as we interact with loved ones, friends and even the stranger. Allow the love of Jesus to be an expression of your character. Know that our human other endures trials just as all of us endure. Choose then to act in compassion in effort to encourage those around you. Choose compassion defined by Jesus. Such compassion is not twisted to be in compliance with the whims of this world. Choose compassion modeled after our Savior, compassion emboldened with the truth to deliver and transform. It is this compassion that will provide answers to the trials of this life which hold eternal authority to save. It is this compassion that will equip us to interact with others in a manner that is exemplary of the One who has saved us. Make this the focus of your interactions. To demonstrate Jesus as best as we can in all circumstances. AMEN!
Photo taken from Fosters Poetical: A Cyclopedia of Poetry (New York, NY: W.C. Palmer, Jr., & Co. 1874) pg. 500. Specific poem cited was written by Bernard Rascas
Corby Shuey 