NEW TESTAMENT READING PLAN: John 17-19
SCRIPTURE READING
Eph 4:32- 5:2 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God
in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children and walk in
love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
This passage is an amazing passage that we could dwell upon for hours. God is calling
us to leave the old self behind and to grow in Christian virtues, one of which is kindness.
Christian kindness is not merely an external change of manners; it is an internal change
of heart. Verse 32 says, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted. . .” Christian kindness
is tenderhearted. If the heart is hard on the inside and the manners are meek and polite
and helpful on the outside, it is not Christian kindness. The idea behind “tenderhearted” is
that our insides are easily touched. When your skin is tender, it doesn’t take a very hard
touch to make it feel pain. When your heart is tender, it is easily affected. It feels easily and
quickly. When you stop and think about it, it is remarkable that this is commanded by the
apostle. You can’t just decide to be tenderhearted and turn it on like a faucet. It is a deep
character quality. Where does it come from? How can we obey this command to make
our kindness to each other deep and heart-felt, not superficial and cool? There are three
keys to growing in Christian kindness. First, we must believe that Christ died in our place
and that He gave Himself up as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Second, we must
believe that God has forgiven all of our sins. In order to be kind, you must believe that
you have been forgiven. Third, we must believe that we are loved by God. We are loved
children – if you truly believe this deep down in your heart, not just in your mind, you will be
transformed forever!
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Ask the Lord to show you the true condition of your heart. Are you tender towards the
things of God or is your heart hard?
2. Of the three keys to growing in Christian kindness, ask the Lord which one you need to
concentrate on.
3. Ask Him to grow you and transform you in that area. Commit to praying about this
regularly and working on that particular area.
