You must put away all bitterness, anger, wrath, quarreling, and slanderous talk – indeed all malice. Instead, be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.
Into the Text
I have personally seen the power of kindness change people’s lives.
I have watched how a kind word can soften a hardened heart. Kindness has a way of doing what nothing else can. I think that is exactly what God intended when He included it in the fruit of the Spirit.
In Ephesians 4, Paul gives us one of the most practical pictures of kindness. He doesn’t just tell us to be kind. He tells us HOW. Put away bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, and slander. In other words, before kindness can flow freely through us, some things have to be removed.
If I am being honest, there are relationships in my life where bitterness has tried to take up residence. I have had to intentionally fight to keep it from taking hold. In our verses today, Paul tells us that bitterness and kindness simply cannot live in the same heart.
Paul knew we would need a reason to choose kindness when it felt hard. So he gave us the best one there is. Be kind and compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God forgave you. It is not because the other person deserves it. It is because you have already been on the receiving end of a kindness you didn’t deserve either. This truth changes everything.
Think about the relationships in your life right now. Is there someone God is nudging you toward today?
This is exactly where He is asking you to start with one small, obedient step toward that person. You may never know the full impact of that one choice, but God does. He will use it in ways you cannot yet imagine.
Freely given. Completely undeserved. That is the kindness Jesus models for us. And His kindness has the power to change every relationship, room, and heart it touches.