The Many Facets Of Life

Col. 3:13 “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

BEAR WITH EACH OTHER. This is something that is often missing in our lives. I heard one preacher explain it this way. These words could well be translated “put up with one another.” Sure, you don’t like something about someone, but put up with it anyway.

ILL.- There are things you don’t like about your mate, but you put up with them and it for the sake of your marriage. He may clip his toenails in the living room, on the carpet and that just infuriates you, but you may have learned to put up with him in this matter. She may take two hours to get ready for church or to go out to dinner, but you hopefully have learned to put up with her slowness, etc. The illustrations are endless.

There are many things that our loved ones (mates, children, etc.) do that irritate us but we have learned to put up with these things because we love them more than we love our own opinions and ideas. We bear with them because we love them dearly!

Now the other side of the coin is this: if something is so bad that confrontation must take place then it must be done in the spirit of love, forgiveness and with the attitude of wanting to help, not hinder and not to put down, etc.

ILL.- For example, there were times when my children (Holly and Shane) were little and I would discipline them, I would spank them, but afterward, I would sit down with them and say something like, “Honey, the reason I did this is because I love you, and what you did was not good, etc.”

Paul advised these two women to “agree with each other in the Lord.” We will never fully agree with one another about everything in life, but we must strive for agreement. We must agree on the basics of life, the Christian life, etc. and beyond that, learn that the Lord allows individual opinions. WE MUST BE GENEROUS AND GRACIOUS WITH ONE ANOTHER!

Rom. 15:1-3 “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself….”

III. REJOICE

V. 4 “Rejoice in the Lord”

ILL.- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., was a member of the U.S. Supreme Court for 30 years. His mind, wit and work earned him the unofficial title of "the greatest justice since John Marshall."

At one point in his life, Justice Holmes explained his choice of a career by saying: "I might have entered the ministry if certain clergymen I knew had not looked and acted so much like undertakers."

I’ve seen some preachers like that. I think there are times when we must be serious but there are also times when we must demonstrate some joy and perhaps some laughter.

Generally, when you hear someone laughing you automatically assume they are joyous or are a joy-filled person. Laughter is scriptural and it is good medicine. Proverbs 17:22. It is the sign of something good in a person’s life.

We are drawn to people who laugh a lot. Churches that laugh a lot of are attractive and contagious. This is another reason why I use humor in my sermons. I want people to learn to laugh in life. I want us to experience joy in the Lord. I want us to realize that laughter in the church is good medicine.