Republished - It Doesn't Really Look Like a Flower

Col 3:12-14 says God has chosen you and made you holy and beloved that he wants you to treat others nicely, compassionately, with gentleness and patience, “bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.”

I understand a little of this sentiment of God’s saying, “I have given you so much love, now go and treat others as I have treated you.”, through raising my kids. With my firstborn I poured in so much time, patience, and encouragement, always the cheerleader for even the smallest accomplishments. When my little cherub’s baby sister came home with a flower she’d made with paper and a pipe cleaner, she was so proud of it. I gushed about how pretty it was and turned to her big brother and said, “Isn’t it so pretty.” To which he replied, “It doesn’t really look like a flower.”

“Come on!” I thought, “after all the encouragement I’ve shown you, can’t you provide a similar response for your sister?” This must be just a fraction of what God feels when we are unloving, unkind, unforgiving, and uncompassionate to one another. Oh Lord, forgive me when I am not who I should be. Help me to share the love you lavish on me.

This post was originally published December 27, 2008