“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:31-32 (NKJV).
Would you believe someone in a clean, ironed white shirt who told you a truck just ran over them? Probably not. This is because the impact of a truck hitting a person would leave much more evidence than just their word. Similarly, receiving the life of Christ has a much greater impact than that of a truck, and as such, it must have visible evidence in your life. One significant evidence is kindness.
Today’s anchor text starts with some character traits that are inconsistent with the life of a believer and should be put away. In contrast, verse 32 depicts the life of the believer, one with kindness and forgiveness toward others. For someone who has received Christ, kindness is not optional. God showed you the ultimate kindness by forgiving your sins, and so you should be kind to others.
The beautiful thing is that this kindness does not come from sheer willpower to be good but by the working of the Holy Spirit. When you believed the Gospel, you received the life of Christ evidenced by the indwelling of His Spirit in your heart (Ephesians 1:13). The same Spirit that was in Christ now dwells in you and so you can be as kind as Jesus was while on the earth.
Galatians 5: 22(NLT) puts it this way, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…”
Showing kindness can be found in in the little things. It’s in how you treat others, especially those who may not be able to repay you. This includes praying for those around you, giving to those in need, preaching the gospel to the unsaved, helping an elderly person across a busy street, speaking kindly to your domestic staff or subordinates at work and so on.
Being kind isn’t impossible. God knows you live in a difficult world, and it may seem hard at first. However, you have Jesus as your example and the empowerment of His Spirit within you. Showing kindness to others is now your nature.
Say this: I have God’s Spirit in me; therefore, I naturally show kindness to those around me.
Bible Reading Plan: Ezekiel 32–33; John 5:1–23