The Bible says: ‘God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms…that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus’ (vv. 6-7 NIV 2011 Edition).
God sent Jesus from heaven to earth, so that we can leave earth one day and go to heaven. This is evidence of God’s kindness, even to those who aren’t yet believers. Beyond that, enjoying the presence of Christ in heaven will remind us of God’s great kindness for all eternity. God places so high a premium on kindness that He never wants us to forget it. So if you want to be ‘godly’ you must endeavour to be kind.
Sometimes Christians are so committed to the tenets of their faith that they come across sounding harsh, and end up turning people off. Be careful; you can have the right doctrine - and the wrong spirit! God’s grace attracts people, it doesn’t repel them. In The Lion and the Mouse, Aesop said, ‘No act of kindness, no matter how small, ever is wasted.’ It costs to be unkind, but it pays to be kind. So take every opportunity today to be kind to others.
In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson: ‘You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.’ The apostle Paul puts it like this: ‘Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves’ (Romans 12:10 NIV 1984 Edition). Today remember that to be kind is to be godly.
Deut 25-27, Mark 14:27-52
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