Act Biblically

Be Forgiving

Colossians 3:13 (New Living Translation)
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

As believers we have become new in nature which will affect how we treat others. Paul called the believers to make allowance for each other’s faults. To forgive implies continual, mutual forgiveness of the problems, irritations, and grievances that occur.

The key to forgiving others was for the believers to (1) remember how much the Lord forgave them, and (2) realize the nerve in refusing to forgive someone God had already forgiven.

Remembering God’s infinite love and forgiveness should help the Colossian believers love and forgive one another. Forgive others willingly as God has forgiven you. Meditate on Scriptures related to overcoming anger and bitterness to remove the root of the tainted spirit within.

Keep Right Company

Psalm 1:1 (New Century Version)

Happy are those who don’t listen to the wicked, who don’t go where sinners go, and who don’t do what evil people do.

Our friends and associates can have a profound influence on us, often in very subtle ways. If we insist on friendships with those who mock what God considers important, we might sin by becoming unresponsive to God’s will. This attitude is the same as mocking.

Do your friends build up your faith, or do they tear it down? True friends should help you to draw closer to God, not hinder you. Identify all danger signals, such as situations, places and personal contacts that bring temptation.

Make Amends with Others

Matthew 5:23-24 (Contemporary English Version)

So if you are about to place your gift on the altar and remember that someone is angry with you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. Make peace with that person, then come back and offer your gift to God.

Jesus explained that those who come into God’s presence to worship must come with pure hearts, not hindered by broken relationships that they had the power to mend.

Jesus explained that if the worshiper remembered someone has anger against them, that person should leave the gift and go immediately to be reconciled to the offended brother or sister. Then they should come back to worship and offer their gift. Make amends for wrongdoing and seek reconciliation.

Become Unified with Other Christians

1 Peter 3:8-9 (New Living Translation)

Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it.

Peter listed five building blocks for unity as Christians:

1. Be of one mind refers to working together for the common goal of spreading the gospel, having common attitudes and ideas. So different people can live and work together for God becasue they can find common ground around Jesus and the good news of the Gospel.
2. Be full of sympathy means being willing to share in others’ needs and being responsive to their feelings; having sensitivity and compassion toward others.
3. Loving one another means loving fellow Christians (brothers and sisters in Christ). This love should draw all Christians together.
4. To have tender hearts means to be conscious of others’ needs but also includes a drive to lighten the need in some way. Believers ought to be deeply touched and moved by the hurts, pains, needs, and joys of fellow believers and then act to help them. They should be affectionate and sensitive, quick to give emotional support.
5. To have humble minds means having an honest estimate of oneself before God. Humility does not cancel out one’s own worth or abilities, nor does it inflate them. Instead, a humble Christian can honestly view his or her characteristics and abilities with thankfulness to God. Humble people can encourage one another and rejoice in each other’s successes.

Be a Blessing

All Christians are called to be a blessing especially to those who insult them. So start today. Ask God to show you and help you to be a blessing to those around you. You are a blessing, because you are blessed!