The Bible instructs us to extend forbearance toward one another. At some point in time, you will probably annoy others and others will annoy you. That is, unless you only keep company with skeletons, because apparently nothing gets under their skin. But most of us hang around flesh and blood people who make mistakes and can be aggravating. That is why the Bible’s message to us about forbearance is so relevant.
Colossians 3:13 says, "Bear with one another, making allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others."
Ephesians 4:2 says, "Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love."
1 Peter 4:8 says, "Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins."
Forbearance is not always an easy task, but it can be humbling and helpful to remember that God continually bears with us. We have required much patience and forbearance from God because of our own shortcomings. Our call as Christians is to learn to extend the same gentle and loving forbearance that God extends to us.
Thomas A Kempis, a follower of Christ who lived in 1380-1471 wrote, “Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.” Perhaps we should each continue to whittle down that plank in our own eye rather than fixate on the speck in the eye of another.