Colossians 3:12

"...clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." (New Living Translation)

• tenderhearted mercy - "let your tenderest feelings come in contact with the miseries of the distressed as soon as ever they present themselves." (Clarke's Commentary on the Bible) "a sympathizing spirit with saints in distress, weeping with them that weep, suffering with them that suffer, being touched, as their high priest is, with a feeling of their sorrows and weaknesses: it denotes inward pity and compassion to distressed objects, the most tender regard to persons in misery, and such compassion as is free from all hypocrisy and deceit" (Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible)
• kindness - "the quality of being warmhearted and considerate and humane and sympathetic" (www.thefreedictionary.com)
• humility - ταπεινοφροσύνη - "having a humble opinion of one's self; a deep sense of one's (moral) littleness; modesty, lowliness of mind" (Thayer's Dictionary from www.laparola.net)
• gentleness - "Meekness is not weakness; it is power under control. This word is used to describe a soothing wind, a healing medicine, and a colt that had been broken." (Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete New Testament by Warren Wiersbe)
• patience - "Literally "long-temper." [Putting] up with provoking people or circumstances without retaliating." (Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete New Testament by Warren Wiersbe)

I have read this passage over and over today and have been cut through deeply to my heart by these words.

I turn 45 in days and I'm embarrassed and ashamed that in 45 years of life, having been raised in a Christian home, graduating from a Bible college, trained for Christian ministry... I have not been living by instruction of those five words above. I have allowed self to get in the way of others. I have allowed words, actions, and thoughts that were far from demonstrating tenderhearted mercy - kindness - humility - gentleness - patience hurt myself and others spiritually and emotionally.

Forgive me Father, for the hurt I've caused in others and the disappointment I've been towards you because of the selfishness I've demonstrated. Create in me a heart that desires these things.