Love is Longsuffering and Kind #2289

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up (1 Corinthians 13:4, NKJV).

Love is enduringly patient. Instead of being short-fused, love is kind while being “long-spirited” (longsuffering) toward another. Truly, God has displayed love’s longsuffering toward us over and over. Even now, while God commands all to repent, He tarries with “longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9; Acts 17:30). When we grasp the nature of God’s longsuffering love, it moves us to obey His command to repent: “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance (Rom. 2:4)?” We must not deceive ourselves into thinking God’s love is so longsuffering that He does not judge and punish unrepented sin. God does not condone and reward sin; that is not genuine love. God’s love has made provisions for the redemption of sinners in the death of His Son, Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:8-11). The gospel calls sinners to be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 3:14-21). What loving-kindness God shows us in Christ; He yearns for our salvation. In longsuffering, God continues to plead with sinners through Christ’s gospel to repent and be saved (Acts 2:37-41). May we show this kind of love to one another (John 13:34-35). Kind, longsuffering love opens doors of opportunity to serve each other, strengthen one another, and help save some.  

The Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness #1309

4 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: …6 by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, 7 by the word of truth…” (2 Corinthians 6:4-7, NKJV)

Kindness is produced in those who are led by the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:22, 18). It is a mark of those who serve God. According to the apostle in the passage above, God is not served where kindness is absent. Kindness carries the idea of graciousness, usefulness and serviceability toward others. Like love, kindness looks outward toward others, treating them with grace. “Be kind to one another” is not a suggestion, it is a commandment of God (Ephesians 4:32). We cannot mask unkind words and deeds behind the facade of “boldly speaking the truth.” Neither does kindness prevent speaking the truth. Indeed, truth must be spoken boldly in love, not with unkind, harsh and rude words (Ephesians 4:15). Kindness comes from being “tenderhearted” – being compassionate and sympathetic toward others (Ephesians 4:32). The sin of unkindness separates Christians from God and from one another. Works of the flesh like hatred, contentions, jealousies, and outbursts of wrath display themselves in unkind words and treatment of others (Galatians 5:20). By kindness, may we always commend ourselves as ministers of God.

Forgive One Another #1302

31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31–32, NKJV)

Bitterness is like acid eating through one’s heart. There is no room for compassion, kindness and merciful forgiveness in the bitter heart. The companions of bitterness are angry, resentful responses, evil words and ill will. Christians must put away all these things from their hearts. This can be done by recalling the kindness of God toward us in Christ. God could have been bitter toward us because of our sins against Him. But, His kind love forgives us in Jesus. There can be no room in our hearts for bitter resentment. Be kind. Be merciful. Forgive. That’s how God has treated you in His Son, Jesus Christ.

A Kind Heart #1065

What is desired in a man is kindness, and a poor man is better than a liar. (Proverbs 19:22, NKJV)

God looks behind our actions, and sees our motives and intentions. God expects us to have both clean hands and pure hearts prompting what our hands find to do (Jas. 4:8). What desire of the heart are you accomplishing by your actions? Here, Solomon notes that kindness is measured and meted out by what is in the heart. A poor man who shows kindness from an empathetic heart (though he possesses little), is of greater value than the rich man who says kind things, but does little (1 Jno. 3:17-18; Jas. 2:15-16). When we say, yet fail to do, we show ourselves to be liars. Solomon acknowledges this, in order to urge us to be sure that our kind acts toward others are a genuine reflection of our heart, and not an exercise in vanity and self-promotion. If they are, then we have our reward (Matt. 6:1-4).

Put Away Bitterness #423

31  Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32  And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32)

Bitterness is like acid eating through one’s heart. Gone is empathy, kindness and merciful forgiveness toward one who sins against the bitter of heart. The companions of bitterness are angry, resentful responses, evil words and ill will. Christians must put away all these things from their hearts. This is done by recalling the kindness of God toward us in Christ. God could have been bitter toward us because of our sins against Him. But His kind love forgives us in Jesus. There is no room in our hearts for bitter resentment. Be kind. Be merciful. Forgive. That’s how God has treated you in His Son.