Be Kind: Devotions for Developing the Heart God DesiresSample

Here are some facts about kindness: Kindness flows from the Holy Spirit’s presence in the Christian’s heart, so godly kindness cannot be faked. Saved people practice kindness because they are saved, but they are not saved by acts of kindness. Someone whose heart is far from God could be used by God to show kindness, but these acts of kindness do not save him or her. The kindness of a Christian, however, is kindness for a different reason. We intentionally put on kindness, as Paul said in Colossians 3:12 because the Holy Spirit is in us.  

Look closely at the first five words of Colossians 3:12. It all begins with belonging to God. Compassion, kindness, humility, and the other attributes flow from the fact that we belong to God. Notice how logically consistent this is, given the fact that we are, according to verse 12, “holy and dearly loved.” We are loving and kind toward others because God is loving and kind toward us.

When we grasp the cosmic fact that God loves us dearly, it changes everything. When we see ourselves as God’s beloved, we begin to see others through God’s eyes, and it elevates the view we have of other people. We begin to see others the way God sees them. God loves the world (John 3:16), and those who belong to Him should love the world, too. Acts of kindness, then, are the natural outflowing of God’s love in us.