To bear with one another is to commit to enduring alongside each other on our journey together, with all its trips, stumbles and falls, towards greater Christlikeness until we reach joy of his presence. In Colossians 3 Paul begins by reminding the church of their identity together(1-6).  They’re raised with Christ and must set their hearts and minds on Christ’s kingdom not the world. 

How’s your relational endurance?  How good are you at putting up with others who are struggling, or who don’t seem to make much progress, or make slow progress?  How are you at enduring with those around you who ask for advice but then ignore it make unwise choices and then ask for help to get themselves out of a mess again?

We hear lots about shrinking attention spans, apparently it has shrunk from 2 ½ minutes 20 years ago to about 40 seconds now.  But along with that goes a shrinking relational span.  In part because we’re conditioned to expect things to happen quickly and that includes progress in others.  We’re less patient, less tolerant, less committed over the long term as a society.  In a world of hurriedness and instant gratification we don’t have time to wait, to endure either with things like downloads or deliveries or with people.

How quick are you to write your brothers and sisters in church off?  How long do you put up with someone doing something you don’t like?  Not answering a message you’ve sent, being late, totally forgetting something you’ve agreed to do together, or forgetting to do something they’ve promised?

What about when someone shares with you a sin they’re struggling with and asks you to pray for them?  How many times will you listen and pray before you write them off?  Or what about when someone sins against you but who, when challenged, asks for forgiveness, but then a few weeks later does it again?  And it feels like a never-ending cycle.

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