Colossians 3:12-14:
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”Philippians 4:13:
“I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”
TL;DR: Break free from the cycle of hurt caused by unmet expectations. Choose compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness as God commands. Focus on His fullness and love, not life’s lacks.
Do you ever find yourself stuck in a cycle of hurt, replaying unmet expectations over and over again? I do. When someone lets me down, it’s easy to dwell on the pain, creating a well-worn path of negative thinking that’s hard to escape. But this path leads me away from God’s glory and toward bitterness.
Colossians 3:12-14 reminds us of a better way. As God’s chosen people, we’re called to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. We’re commanded to bear with one another and forgive as Jesus forgives us.
When I perseverate on unmet expectations, I’m focusing on the lack in my life instead of the fullness of God’s love and grace. To truly live well, I need to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
I’ve faced this challenge before in my journey to quit drinking. Breaking the cycle of addiction required intentionally changing my first thought about alcohol. Similarly, breaking the cycle of hurt and bitterness requires a conscious choice to focus on compassion, forgiveness, and love.
This isn’t easy to do on my own. But with God’s strength, it’s possible. Philippians 4:13 reminds us: “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” By leaning on Him, we can replace hurt with healing and unmet expectations with unconditional love.
Today, let’s put on the qualities God calls us to embrace. Let’s love people where they are, not where we wish they would be. Let’s be the hands and heart of Jesus to everyone we encounter, without exception.
May His love fill your heart, guide your thoughts, and transform your relationships today and always!
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