Day 13
Bought with Kindness for Kindness
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:12–17
You have probably heard the saying, “It doesn’t cost anything to be kind.” And in many ways, this feels true—kindness in our day-to-day interactions can seem simple and effortless. But if we pause and reflect on where true and lasting kindness comes from, we will find that it does, in fact, cost something.
In a world marked by selfishness, pride, and jealousy, being kind is rarely our first instinct. Think about the last political season or the heartbreak of your favorite team losing a big game. When we encounter people or situations that go against our desires or expectations, our natural response is often anger, frustration, or even disdain—not kindness. While we might suppress those feelings out of social norms, our earthly nature eventually catches up to us, and kindness becomes something we struggle to give.
Paul describes this tension in Colossians 3, where he contrasts our old earthly nature with the new life we are called to live as followers of Christ. Before Christ, we are ruled by immorality, greed, anger, malice, and other self-serving tendencies. These traits reflect the wiring of our hearts apart from God. While acts of kindness are certainly possible for those living in their earthly nature, true and lasting kindness flows only from the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives.
So how do we possess this true and lasting kindness? Beginning in verse 12, Paul tells us to put on or "clothe" ourselves with kindness as chosen ones, holy and dearly loved. Here, we begin to see the cost associated with this Spirit-filled kindness. Through His death, burial, and resurrection, Christ bore the ultimate cost of kindness, offering us a new life in Him, indwelled by the Holy Spirit.
Furthermore, in order for the Spirit to dwell in us, we must die to our old selves and live in a way that reflects God's love. Kindness, then, is not a natural product of our hearts but a Fruit of the Spirit, cultivated as we submit to Him and let Christ’s love transform us.
So, kindness does have a cost. It requires us to die to our selfish ways, surrender our pride, and allow the power of the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. But this cost is worth every bit of it. The kindness we show is not just a reflection of God’s love—it is a living testimony of the Gospel. When we clothe ourselves with kindness, we participate in the redemptive work of Christ, showing the world a glimpse of His grace.
FURTHER REFLECTION:
What areas of your life reveal a struggle to clothe yourself with kindness, and how might submitting those areas to the Holy Spirit allow His transformative work to take place?
How does recognizing the cost of kindness—through Christ's sacrifice—change the way you approach opportunities to show kindness to others, especially when it feels difficult or undeserved?
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your mercy and grace in my life. Thank You for extending Your kindness and love towards me when You sent Your Son to die on the cross for my sins. May I be reminded that as a chosen one, holy and dearly loved, I am to put to death what is earthly in me and clothe myself with the attributes of who You are. Help me to be kind to those around me so that they may come to know who You are. Amen.
FOR FURTHER STUDY:
Galatians 2:20, Ephesians 4:32
by Clinton Hicks