“CHRISTIAN KINDNESS”

32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32

Kindness is one of the hallmarks of Christian behaviour. Every person who is governed by God demonstrates the character of God, who is kind to all — whether they believe Him or not. Everyone enjoys the benefits of oxygen, sunshine, rain, family, and so on. God is kind to each person on the planet, regardless of their faith.

Kindness is more than just trying to be nice and pleasant. Besides, it benefits us if we possess an agreeable character because people will like us. I mean, you can be nice and polite but still have a hard heart. That’s not the biblical meaning of kindness.

In today’s verse, Paul encourages the Ephesians to show kindness to one another. The Greek term used is “chrēstos,” which means “fit for use.” Just as how God has been kind to them, they are to extend the same kindness to one another.

In its true biblical sense, kindness speaks of unselfish concern for the welfare of others, and a desire to be helpful even if it means sacrificing one’s interests.

Like biblical patience, biblical kindness cannot be produced by an individual; it has a supernatural origin. The Holy Spirit, in His transformative work in a believer’s life, proves faith to be genuine by producing the character of Christ in his life, including kindness.

John Piper said, “Christian kindness is not merely an external change of manners; it is an internal change of heart. I couldn’t agree more. Not every person who seems nice has a regenerated heart. Some people do volunteer work but do not believe in God. That’s not necessarily biblical kindness; that’s humanitarianism.

Christian kindness is proven when you decide to do good to someone even when they have done you wrong—and you don’t expect anything in return. Remember how Jesus interceded for His tormentors?

Just like how Christ demonstrated kindness by showing people compassion and helping them even when they didn’t deserve it, a Christian also has the will to be kind to others, even to those who are not nice to him.

You might be faced with difficult people today and I want to encourage you to remember your calling to be kind to everyone, even to those who don’t like you. Being kind is not optional; it’s a command. Go and show acts of random kindness to the people around you.

Pursue the Saviour today!