Verse of the Day for September 29

Paul talks about character the way you talk about clothes. Put on therefore, he begins. Then, in verse 14, above all these things put on charity. Clothes are put on daily. Nobody dresses once for the rest of their life.

Look closely at the order in verse 13. Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another. Forbearing comes first. It means putting up with each other, bearing with the small irritations that are not sins at all, just differences.

Much of a long marriage, a long friendship, or a long time in the same church is forbearing. The way someone chews. The way they always arrive late. The opinion they repeat every Sunday. None of it needs forgiving. It needs patience.

Then, when real wrong comes, forgiving. And the standard is high. even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. Paul gives the reason inside the instruction. You were forgiven first. That is the cloth everything else is cut from.

The long road wears clothes out. Some mornings you will have to put on kindness again because yesterday it tore. That is normal. Get dressed again. Charity, Paul says, is the bond that holds the rest together.

Not every irritation needs forgiving, but most need patience.

You will need to put kindness on again tomorrow, and that is fine.