Bearing with One Another

Be completely humble and gentle.

Be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4, verse 2. Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Our reading titled, Bearing with One Another, was written by Nancy Gabianas and read by Rochelle Traub. Ephesians chapter 4, verses 1 through 6. As a prisoner for the Lord then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Be completely humble and gentle. Be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called.

One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Bearing with One Another, written by Nancy Gabianas. I stopped behind a car at a red light the other day and noticed a bright sticker on the rear window, boldly stating, new driver, please be patient. Given all the road rage we hear about or experience, what a great reminder to be patient with other drivers.

As I looked at the sticker, I wondered what would happen if people carried around signs that alerted us that they're a new parent or a new Christian. If we knew what our neighbors, co-workers or others we encounter throughout our day were going through, would we be more patient and even help them deal with their struggles? We may be rushing through our days trying to avoid being interrupted by others, but let's consider how Jesus treated people.

He wasn't in a hurry. He had compassion on people and took the time to comfort and teach and show love to those he encountered. As believers in Jesus, we're called to live a life worthy of the calling we have received. The Apostle Paul says that includes being completely humble and gentle, being patient, bearing with one another in love and making every effort to live in peace and unity with each other.

We may not know what challenges people are facing, but we can be patient with them. Let's be an expression of Jesus's love to everyone we encounter on our daily path. Let's pray. Jesus, please help us to slow down and see others through your eyes so that we can show patience, humility and love to those that we encounter. May our lives reflect your compassion, bringing peace and unity to every moment we share with others. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. As you go about your day, reflect on these questions. How can you be more patient with others? Who can you be a blessing to today?