You can have bible knowledge without being kind.
You can be moral without being kind.
You can be obedient without being kind.
You can endure and overcome challenges without being kind.
You can pray, preach, sing and give money to the Kingdom without being kind.
You can proclaim what is true without being kind.
You can be baptized and come up wet, but not come out kind.
You can offer scriptural advice without being kind.
You can be a dutiful spouse and responsible parent without being kind.
You can lead worship or lead people or lead a business without being kind.
You can follow in submission without being kind.
You can be admired by most in our culture without having to be kind.
You can be religiously saturated without being kind.
You can be ridiculously committed and dependable without being kind.
But you cannot be like Jesus without being kind. You cannot legitimately claim to be Spirit-filled without being kind. You cannot walk with God without being kind. All of those previously mentioned characteristics, in the absence of kindness, have almost no lasting value. Jesus is kind. Holy Spirit is kind. Father is kind. I can become many things apart from kindness…but I don’t want to be many things (or anything for that matter) if I am not becoming like my God.
And my God is very, very kind.
I found out just recently that when Paul says “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph 4:32), the Greek word he uses which we read as “KIND” means rather more than we might expect! It has a root which suggests “useful” … it is not therefore passive but both positive & purposeful.
And it’s not just “BE Kind” as a static thing; I’m told that the Greek verb indicates an ongoing and developing thing. That’s why some translations (eg Weymouth and Youngs) have “learn to be kind” or “become kind”. That suggests we all have progress to make!
Selfishness (Bitterness etc) takes … drains … separates … never contributes … never helps; Kindness gives … connects … interacts … is useful … helps with burdens … helps over/through difficulties.
“Being kind” is therefore much more than “Not doing harm” … it means actively looking for opportunities to do good/ways to help. So “being kind” (as in just passive peaceful co-existence, or just “being polite & nice”) is not enough … there is more to it.
It is interesting to note the flow of thought at the end of Eph 4:30-32:
Sealed? Then Stop … and Show.
Why? Because of the Saviour
Yes indeed, our God is very very kind!