Jim Stephens' Gracenotes from Resource Ministries International

God’s Wonderful Kindness

ByJim Stephens

Scripture: Ephesians 1

6 So we praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are forgiven. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. (Ephesians 1:6-8 NLT)

When I was younger, the kindness of God wasn’t really the first God-quality I tended to think about. I thought about his power, his majesty, his holiness, his purposefulness, his love, but not so much about his kindness.

Paul said that God poured out his wonderful kindness on us. That because God is rich in kindness, he has purchased our freedom, and that he has literally showered his kindness on us.

As I get older, I value, admire, and want to exemplify, the kind of kindness God has poured out on us. When I think about kindness, I think about how the strong treat the weak. I think about caring how someone feels. God could have ignored us, tolerated us, or hated us. But he has been kind to us. He cares about how we feel. 

There is an attitude, and it’s growing more common in our society and even in the church, that kindness is weakness. This attitude says that sympathy for the oppressed is weakness. This attitude says that empathy with those who suffer is weakness. That attitude is wrong, friends! Kindness and sympathy and empathy are the defining qualities of Christ in us. Kindness is the greatest kind of strength! If we lose those qualities in our attitude and actions toward others we will lose the very Christ nature that we are in this world to represent and manifest!

God poured out and showered his kindness on us. Now it’s our turn. Paul said, “…Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32 NLT)

Prayer:

Father, Thanks for your kindness, your gentleness, and your care and concern for how I’m doing. Thank you that you don’t crush me in my weakness, but instead are kind to me. Help me to allow your kindness to pour out on me and flow through me to the weak, the wounded, and the weary. Amen.