Kindness

It is not a popular sermon topic. You won't see many sermon series based on it, but it sure is important to the new life we have in Christ.

It's called kindness. And we are to imitate our God with it.

I always saw Ephesians 5:1 as the start of a new thought for Paul. But the Greek text (without chapters and verses of course) could go either way. Looking at it like this may help:

Ephesians 4:29–5:1 (ESV) Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

The Greek preposition for "therefore" could be "so"... reading it again, Paul is saying all these things that should not happen... especially things from the mouth and then says, "So be imitators of God."

And I thought about it. God is kind. To be kind according to the dictionary is to be generous and considerate. God is a resoundingly kind God. When 1 Peter 2:3 says "if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good" he is using the same Greek word we have in Ephesians 4:32 for kind.  When Jesus says we should take his yoke upon ourselves, the word we translate as "easy" is also this word for "kind", in the Greek "chrestos". 

Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13:4 (ESV) "Love is patient and kind." He also uses it to remind us this is the attribute God uses to call us to repentance in Romans 2:4 (ESV) Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

God is kind. 

Whatever idea you have of God should be shaped from the scriptures. And so you should know that kindness is pretty high up on the list and serves a very important roll in bringing back lost sons and daughters steeped in sin.

So imitating God is not about big promotion and sounding important. And imitating God is not acting like you have your life all together. And imitating God is not memorizing Bible passages (although He of course Has them memorized!). But Paul says it's kindness. And kindness should lead to "forgiving one another as God is Christ forgave you."

Who do you need to be considerate of?

Who do you need to be generous toward?

Who do you need to forgive?

Who needs your best imitation of God, right now, in kindness?

PRAYER:

Father, how often I fail at kindness. How often I treat people as if they weren't important when they are the ones you sent Christ to die for. I ask for a change of heart. A kind heart that speaks no evil toward anyone and does not joke coarsely with others. Give me a renewed heart of kindness just like Yours. In Jesus' Name. Amen.