Bound Together

Key Thought | Love is the spiritual cable that holds God’s people together. When we are bound by the Holy Spirit in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness, we remain strong, even when life feels unsteady.

“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 one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” — Colossians 3:12–14 (NIV)

Venice, Italy is a beautiful and unique city. To sit in St. Mark’s Square on a spring evening is enchanting. One can enjoy good food and conversation while an orchestra plays classical music across the plaza.

Of course, what most people remember about Venice is that it was built on water. In the old city, there are no roads or cars, only canals, bridges, and gondolas. It is truly an engineering marvel.

If you look closely at the centuries-old buildings, you’ll notice large bolts attached to the exterior walls. They aren’t attractive, but they serve a critical purpose. These structures are built on very wet and shifting foundations. What you can’t see from the outside is that those bolts are connected to one another by heavy cables stretched taut through the buildings. Those hidden cables hold the walls together. Without them, the walls would eventually collapse, and the city of Venice would be lost.

The Apostle Paul wrote to remind believers that what holds us together in unity is love. The existence of the church in Colossae was fragile. It was young, small, and faced constant threats from worldly philosophies and religious influences seeking to minimize the impact of God’s people. It also faced poverty and limited resources. How would they survive?

They would survive by clothing themselves in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness. The spiritual cable that would hold them together was love.

This echoes Paul’s description of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22–23:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

As individuals, families, and churches, we all face challenges that threaten the very foundation of who we are as God’s people. Without the presence of the Holy Spirit holding us together, we would falter, just like an untethered city built on water.

Prayer | God, help me yield my life fully to Your Spirit so that the fruit of Your presence strengthens every bond in my life. Bind my family in love, deepen the unity of Your church, and let Your Spirit hold us together through every season. Amen.

Reflection | What relationships in your life need the strengthening power of God’s love? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to tighten those spiritual “cables” today?

We'd love to hear from you! Let us know in the comments what God is speaking to you as you read these devotionals. If you haven't already subscribed to receive our devotional emails right to your inbox, hit the subscribe button below and invite your family and friends to subscribe as well! Thank you for being a part of our Opendoor Devotional Community. We appreciate you!