Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Colossians 3:12
Jesus tells a story in Matthew 18 about a king who had a servant who owed him a great debt. When the servant realized he would not be able to pay, he begged the king to have mercy on him. The king decided to grant his request and completely canceled his debt. That servant immediately went to another servant who owed him a small amount of money. This servant could not repay the small debt and begged the original servant to have mercy on him. Instead of being shown mercy, he was put in prison. The king found out that the servant he had shown kindness to refused to show that same kindness. Furious at his servant’s lack of kindness, the king throws that servant in prison until he could pay his massive debt. Why? The servant had refused to show the same kindness he had been shown. It is easy to become furious with the servant who refused to show kindness after the king had shown him great kindness, but the truth is, we do the same thing. God has shown us immeasurable kindness, but we often struggle to show that same kindness to other people.
This week, we are confronting a decision that we have to make: we can be selfish or kind. Scripture teaches that our motivation for kindness should be God’s kindness He has shown us. Colossians 3:12 tells us, “Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” This verse reminds us of God’s own kindness to us. In His great kindness, He loved us enough to send Jesus to come to earth and die on a cross to forgive us for our sins. The kindness God has shown us is immeasurable. This kind of kindness has an impact. It changes us. God’s kindness calls us to show that same kindness to those around us. After all, how could we, after being shown extraordinary kindness, not also extend that same kindness?
It is time that you and I, out of the outrageous kindness that God has shown us, become people who are always looking for opportunities to show that same kindness to the people around us. Let’s be people who are known for our kindness. May we always point people to the extraordinary kindness of God.
If we are going to be people who show kindness, we must have a good understanding of the kindness that we have been shown. Take time today to remember the kindness God has shown you. Start by memorizing Colossians 3:12 as a reminder that you have been a recipient of great, great kindness.
Read Colossians 3:12-17 (NLT)
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
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