Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Colossians 3:12-15

Dear God, the part of this passage that strikes me this morning is the second sentence: “Make allowance for other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you.” Make allowance for others’s faults. Allow it. Don’t feel the need to change them. Don’t try to mold them into the perfect person, whether it is your spouse, your child, etc. Yes, as a parent you need to parent, but then there is also the idea of modeling grace by extending it to your child and then also allowing them to see you extend grace to others.

“Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in [my heart].” Peace. Peace. One of Paul’s fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5. Peace. If Jesus is the vine and I am the branch, then that peace must come from him and will only come when my branch is attached to the vine. and then that peace flows through me and enables me to allow for other’s faults. It enables me to forgive anyone who offends me. Yes, there are still grudges I hold. I am sorry for those. Please reveal them to me one by one so I can forgive them.

Father, help me to follow John 15:5 and be a branch on your vine. Help me to remain in you so that I can bear much fruit. And let that fruit be love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness and self control. Purge from me all that is in Galatians 5:19-21 (sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.” May my life be a complete tribute to you for your glory’s sake and so that you might enter the world through me as your vessel.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen