Colossians 3:12-14
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Colossians 3:12-14 (NIV)
I remember so clearly the day we found out we were going to be parents. After we took the pregnancy test and got the results, there was lots of jumping around and tears of joy! I really didn’t know all it took to be a parent. All I knew was that I wanted kids and couldn’t wait to raise a family. I quickly bought the “What To Expect When You’re Expecting” book and began reading it immediately. As a person who did not have a great example of parenting growing up, I truly wanted to do my best with my own kids. As a new parent, I was prepared for the sleepless nights, the ever-constant diaper changing, the loss of “me” time, etc. But, to my naivete', that was just the beginning.
As the kids grew up, each of their thoughts, personalities, and opinions began to shine. We had to figure out how to put our differences aside. We always wanted to make sure they knew they were loved – unconditionally. Some days proved harder than others, especially during the teenage years!
This verse conjured up thoughts of parenting. The five virtues mentioned (compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience) are important reminders of how we want to parent. The Lord showed mercy on us, so too should we do the same to others. Compassion – parents always want to help relieve their kids’ pain and sorrows. Kindness – I wanted my kids to live in a house where people spoke and treated them with kindness. Humility – we sometimes need to set aside our own agenda to broaden our perspective of others’ viewpoints. We raise kids to think for themselves. Showing humility allows them to hone their decision-making skills. Gentleness – this is a no-brainer when they are babies. But as young adults, they need our gentle nature to make them feel comfortable being themselves and learning from their mistakes. Patience – oh boy this is the mac-daddy of them all! Why do newborns always wake up right when you just got to sleep? Why do toddlers have to ask “Why?” five hundred times a day? Why do teenagers always “forget” that you asked them to clean their room?
The Lord reminds us to forgive, just as He forgave us. Forgiveness is a tough skill for me, and I lean on my faith to try to help me with this. However, the greatest thing we can do for our children is love them. From the moment I laid eyes on my kids, I knew I was completely in love. I love them when they test my patience. I love them when they don’t show kindness back. I love them when my compassion and gentleness aren’t enough. Loving my family has bound us together in im-perfect unity, just as the Lord asked of us.
Question for Reflection:
- How do you show others kindness, compassion, gentleness, humility and patience?
Prayer
Dear Lord,
Thank you for reminding us of the virtues we are called to embrace as followers of Christ. May these virtues be evident in our thoughts, words, and actions as we seek to reflect your love to those around us. Fill our hearts with endless love so that we may love as you loved us. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
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