Always be completely humble and gentle, patiently putting up with each other and loving each other. Ephesians 4:2
With compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bear with each other and forgive one another Colossians 3:12-13

The New Testament has an amazing number of passages about accepting each other. I could have picked from dozens of verses about acceptance. Paul wrote, “Accept one another just as Christ accepts you” (Rom 15:7). We must accept others even though they have faults and sins—just as God accepts us even though we have faults and sins.

To fail to accept each other is sinful, itself, because God is no respecter of persons and shows no partiality with any of us (Rom 11.2)…If we don’t accept each other, we are setting ourselves up as their judge and that is God’s job, not ours (Rom 14:4).

Acceptance is the first ‘A’ in honoring the people around us. People we live with. People we work with. People we church with. Neighbors, friends, extended relatives…wait-staff, the guy at the gas station, the list goes on. Obviously, we have more opportunity (and authority) to honor some of those around us than others, but the characteristics I’m sharing, fit no matter who we find ourselves in contact with.

These people around us all have legitimate, God-given needs for “the 4 a’s” we talked about last time: Acceptance. Affection. Attention. Affirmation. Jesus intends for His followers to receive them from each other, laying a foundation of a healthy sense of their individual identity in Him and their place in His Kingdom. This is how we honor each other. Nothing will kill honor faster than seeing it as a one-way street.

Ever hear a child plead, “Daddy, watch me!”? The Attention need is met by being there, listening, watching, engaging and interacting. Sure there are people who are clamoring for attention, while others like to stay out of the lime light. Honoring people as individuals recognizes that. But no one likes to be ignored.

Attention is the most basic form of love. It’s the ground floor. And it all takes time and placing enough significance on the individual to focus on them, rejoicing with them, weeping with them. Real time. Real attention.

Why does this matter? Because attention is the basic ingredients of a living and breathing relationship. Attention is how we nurture and feed. Attention is what we need and crave. Without attention, no new relationship will develop and no current relationship will survive for long. The roots of connection simply shrink and whither.

So how do we do it? Today’s verses all tell us the same thing: humble and gentle, patient. Passages like Philippians 2:3-4, tell us to “look after the interests of others”. But what about their sin? Good question. Does God accept us despite our sin? Yes. Does God accept our sin? No. He provides a way out of our sin. Does God accept us even when we don’t accept Him? Yes, He does. He shows no partiality (Rom 2:11).

Paul tells us to bear with one another and if someone has a complaint, they are to forgive others because “the Lord has forgiven you” and “so you must also forgive.” In this way, acceptance and forgiveness are inseparable (Col 3:13).