Another word

Well today I made it all the way to Ephesians 4:2 before I had to stop and look up a word. The word for today is "bearing".
  Here is the verse where it is used: "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."  What did bearing mean here.  After asking myself that question I did what I normally do in situations like this, went to Dictionary.com (my favorite website). The definition that stood out to me was "to suffer, endure, undergo". Next stop Strong's concordance.  Could not find that word in Ephesians because a different word was used in the King James Version so that meant I needed to find what word was used there.  KJV used the word "forbear"  which means "put up with, endure"


Bearing, in this verse, does not mean to help another person with their burden but to learn how to put up with an annoying person and to do it with love!  


I am sure we all know that person who just irritates us to no end. Guess what, we are to be patient with that person, putting up with them in love. Now as I read this, it does not mean we have to be best friends, do lunch or chat on the phone but it means love them, tolerate them, learn to work with them for purpose of promoting the Gospel. 


I know this is not easy or fun to do but if we are to be the body of Christ and we are to have unity this is something we have to work on.  Ephesians 4 talks about unity in the body and that unity is not for our purpose but for God's.  If we have unity that means we are willing to put aside our differences in order to do the job God has called us to do so that God's word is spread and the body becomes stronger.


Now on to Ephesians 5.  Wonder what word will pop up there.