Because of Jesus I Am...ናሙና

You Are Too Kind

Verse - “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

Think - A few years ago, a woman stopped by my office to share a conversation she had with someone else earlier in the week. The person was reprimanding her for the way she responded to someone in the midst of conflict. This woman was told she is “too kind” and needs to learn how to be firm and critical as a way of correcting people’s actions. Not knowing what to say to this reprimand, she finally just said, “Thank you,” and walked away. Maybe we need to ask if there is ever a time when we can be too kind.

According to the Apostle Paul, kindness also includes compassion and forgiveness. These are all done in response to the fact that God expressed His kindness and love to us by first forgiving us. Yet, we easily fall into judging others when they have wronged us and getting angry and talking poorly about them when we have been offended. Kindness, compassion, and forgiveness are certainly not something that comes naturally to us. But Paul mandates this - be kind, be compassionate, and forgive each other.

Apply - What would you think if someone told you that you were “too kind”? How do we put aside our emotional feelings and hurts when we have been offended and instead show grace and kindness to them? If kindness and compassion do not come easily to you, pray that God would remind you of His love for you and teach you to have a kind and compassionate heart.

Pray - Dear Lord, help us to be able to be people who reflect your kindness and compassion as we relate to people in our circles. Grant us a forgiving heart as we encounter situations and relationships that need reconciliation and redemption. Help us to be reminded often of your love and grace for us, and may we praise you with our actions of kindness, compassion, and forgiveness.

Bio line - Mike Clemmer is the lead Pastor at Maple Grove Mennonite Church in Atglen, PA. He and April live in Strasburg, and they have three adult children and five grandchildren.