FORBEARING AND FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER

 

                                             By A. W. Tozer

 

 

              Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another,

              if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.     -- Colossians 3:13

 

                I do not believe that a spirit of resentment can dwell in a loving heart.

 

                In the course of scores of conferences and hundreds of conversations,  I have many times heard people say: "I resent that!"

 

                But I have never heard those words used by any man or woman living in conscious Christian victory!

 

                Before resentment can enter, love must take its flight and bitterness take over.  The bitter soul will compile a list of slights at which it takes offense and will watch over itself like a mother bear over her cubs.

 

                Few sights are more depressing than that of a professed Christian defending his supposed rights and  bitterly resisting any attempt to violate them.  Such a Christian has never accepted the way of the cross.  The sweet graces of meekness and humility are unknown to him.

 

                The only cure for this sort of thing is to die to self and rise with Christ into newness of life.  The man who sets   the will of God as his goal will reach that goal, not by self-defense, but by self-abnegation.  Then no matter  what sort of treatment he receives from his fellow men, he will be altogether at peace.

 

                The will of God has been done -- whether by curses or compliments he cares not, for he seeks not one or the other, but only to do the will of God at any cost!

 

                If there be some who take pleasure in holding him   down, he is still content within himself, and will not resent them, for he seeks not advancement, but the will of God.

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             Yours in Christ,

             Paul N. F.