40 Days Pondering the Fruit of the Spirit
Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days PONDERING the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
Day 16 | KINDNESS
40 Days PONDERING the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
Day 16 | KINDNESS
KINDNESS
Colossians 3:12
"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." (NIV)
When we come to Christ by inviting Him to be our Savior and Lord, the Bible says we become one of “God’s chosen people.” We are “born-again” and become clean before God and are NEW.
Colossians 3:10 says: “…and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.”
So, just as you would put on a new shirt or jacket… in Christ, we are to put on the “new man” as one of God’s chosen people. Additionally, we are to clothe ourselves with “compassion, KINDNESS, humility, gentleness, and patience,” appropriate and befitting garments for all followers of Jesus.
A few verses higher, Paul tells the Colossians to “rid themselves” or “put to death” specific negative characteristics. Here though, Paul uses the positive to try to guide us on how we should behave and treat one another.
Paul reminds us that we are (1) CHOSEN by God, (2) HOLY or set apart by and for God, and (3) DEARLY LOVED by God. And then, all FIVE of the qualities he lists – if present in the Christian community – will reduce or eliminate frictions.
In particular, KINDNESS combines the ideas of goodness, kindliness, and graciousness, the opposite of severity. Kindness was not considered a virtue in the pagan world of Paul’s time; however, it was a noble character in the New Testament church and allowed the church to function smoothly.
Considering that Jesus truly wanted us to “love one another,” the NEW command He instituted in John 13, being KIND to one another – along with the other characteristics listed here – will go a long way to enabling “love one another” to happen. There is so little of that happening today “in the world,” that to live that way “in the church” would be unique and attractive to many non-Christians.
Prayer: LORD, help me do my part to show KINDNESS to all of my brothers and sisters in Christ. Amen.
Colossians 3:12
"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." (NIV)
When we come to Christ by inviting Him to be our Savior and Lord, the Bible says we become one of “God’s chosen people.” We are “born-again” and become clean before God and are NEW.
Colossians 3:10 says: “…and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.”
So, just as you would put on a new shirt or jacket… in Christ, we are to put on the “new man” as one of God’s chosen people. Additionally, we are to clothe ourselves with “compassion, KINDNESS, humility, gentleness, and patience,” appropriate and befitting garments for all followers of Jesus.
A few verses higher, Paul tells the Colossians to “rid themselves” or “put to death” specific negative characteristics. Here though, Paul uses the positive to try to guide us on how we should behave and treat one another.
Paul reminds us that we are (1) CHOSEN by God, (2) HOLY or set apart by and for God, and (3) DEARLY LOVED by God. And then, all FIVE of the qualities he lists – if present in the Christian community – will reduce or eliminate frictions.
In particular, KINDNESS combines the ideas of goodness, kindliness, and graciousness, the opposite of severity. Kindness was not considered a virtue in the pagan world of Paul’s time; however, it was a noble character in the New Testament church and allowed the church to function smoothly.
Considering that Jesus truly wanted us to “love one another,” the NEW command He instituted in John 13, being KIND to one another – along with the other characteristics listed here – will go a long way to enabling “love one another” to happen. There is so little of that happening today “in the world,” that to live that way “in the church” would be unique and attractive to many non-Christians.
Prayer: LORD, help me do my part to show KINDNESS to all of my brothers and sisters in Christ. Amen.