Verse: Ephesians 4:33
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Devotion
This verse from Paul to the Ephesians is packed with insight and meaning. It is placed in a chapter where Paul is telling those early Christians how to live successfully. It leads off with kindness, our theme for the week. We are implored to be kind to one another, not just be a kind person but to actively be kind with others. I’m guessing that we all think we are kind people but do we demonstrate kindness with those that irritate us, those that are mean to us?
Think back on the last 24 hours. Was there an interaction with someone where you weren’t kind? Your spouse, child, coworker, or friend? What was the cause? Now that you have had some time to detach from the moment, can you see more clearly what happened?
This is why Paul goes on to tell us to also be tenderhearted (or some versions use compassionate). It is hard to be kind if we are not also tenderhearted. We need to put ourselves in the shoes of the other person. What is going on in their life that is causing our interaction to be less than kind? Did they have a fight at school or a bad day at work? If we have compassion, we can respond to difficult situations with kindness.
Or did this person wrong us? And we still have some bitterness in our hearts from past interactions? This is another situation that can cause us to not be kind. But Paul says that we are to forgive one another, as God in Christ forgave you. How has God forgiven us?
His forgiveness is complete without any conditions.
He forgave us through Jesus’ death before we even came to him.
He continues to forgive us even though we slip up all the time.
Let’s spend some time this week thinking about these ways in which God forgives us and how we can apply them to our interactions with others. Which of these can you use in your relationships? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you grow in your forgiveness, compassion and kindness.
PRAYER
Dear God, we do ask for your help in becoming more like you. We want to be tenderhearted toward all people. Help us today to forgive and to be kind to those in our lives so that we can show your love to others and bring them to you.
Author: Brad Dunn
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