Bear with One Another
Not too long ago, my brother and I were having a discussion about a debatable subject. (The subject will remain anonymous). He was very convinced that he was right, and I was very convinced that I was right. I was questioning him on some of his viewpoints for a while, and then finally, I pointed something out to him. The point that I brought to his attention seemed so obvious to me that I didn’t even bother to bring it up in the beginning because I thought he would have thought of it already. In that moment and in other similar moments, I am reminded that I have a unique perspective to offer. I should not just expect others to see things the way that I do. This doesn’t make me better than someone else. It just means that I have valuable insight to share with others and that others have valuable insight to share with me.
It can be so easy to pass judgement on someone because we assume that they know what we know and decided to do or believe the wrong thing anyway. In our current world, people tend to be very outspoken about their opinions and also very set in their ways. It can be hard to be honest or share your perspective with someone when you already see how sure they are of their viewpoint and especially if they condemn anyone who has a different view.
As followers of Jesus Christ, our lives should be framed by the Bible. This means that anything we see happening in the world needs to be seen through the eyes of God’s Word. There are prophecies in the Bible that help us to understand current events. There is also wisdom in the Bible to help us discern what is good and what is evil. There is also instruction on how the Kingdom of God operates as opposed to the kingdom of this world.
2 Timothy 2:25 (NIV) says, “Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth…”
The Bible tells us that we should gently and humbly instruct one another. We are not to be harsh with each other. As we are willing to learn from one another, forsaking our pride, we are able to come to a fuller knowledge of God. As we engage in this learning process, we should always be checking what we are believing and how we are acting with the Word of God.
Ephesians 4:1-7 (NIV) gives us insight into how we are to act with each other:
“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. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”
Our unique giftings and experiences are needed in the body of Christ. The Bible instructs us to keep unity. We need the wisdom of other people to help us come to a true knowledge of God. Inevitably, there are topics that I have more knowledge about and skills that I can contribute, but these are not the same things that someone else has to offer. As we all use our gifts, we can function more effectively as the body of Christ.
All that to say, I think we can easily get angry or frustrated with others because of their differences or lack of understanding. We usually are the most critical of others in the area of our personal strengths.
For example, in my marriage, I am the “go-getter” and “work-harder” person. As a result, I often stress myself out. My husband is the choose peace and trust God person. I need him to teach me that it’s okay to rest and to take a break. He needs me to help motivate him and encourage him to pursue his dreams. We work great together. However, there are moments when I get so mad about his peaceful state that I see it as a bad thing and refuse to allow him to teach me to rest. It has been my prayer off and on for a few years now that God would help me and my husband to work together in a way that we are able to use our strengths to help each other and to not be offended by either of our weaknesses.
If we could learn to get to know who God has created us to be and who God has created others to be, we could begin to work together instead of trying to change the other person to be like us. This requires laying down our pride and being willing to do what God has called us to do and let others do what God has called them to do, and all this without boasting or envying each other. It also requires us to learn from each other. It is a beautiful thing to work together in marriage or with a team of people using our gifts to see something accomplished.
Be completely humble. Be gentle. Be patient. Keep unity. God has given each of us a grace to do what he’s gifted us to do. We cannot boast in what we could never do without God’s grace.
Teach others humbly and be willing to learn from others. When we see someone who is weak in an area where we are strong, we should not dismiss them as having nothing to offer us. Bear with one another in love.
