God is kind to the ungrateful and the evil (Lk.6:35). The kindness of God leads you to repentance (Rom. 2:4). When the kindness of God appeared, he saved us (Tit. 3:4-6). The fruit of the Spirit (among other things) is kindness (Gal.5:12-13). Clothe yourselves with kindness as God’s dearly loved children (Col. 3:12).
Heavenly Father, thank you for being incomparably, relentlessly, extravagantly kind to us. How kind are you? Through our union with Jesus, we live in a perpetual state of your favor, affection, and delight. We believe this because you say it’s true; make it more real than ever, Abba.
You’re not kind until it “no longer works”—and then you resort to being a bit harsh with us. Your kindness isn’t a sweet mood; it’s the loving fire of your heart that melts and molds our hard hearts. Indeed, your kindness leads us to repentance (Rom.2:4). Shame only leads us to having contempt for ourselves and others.
So, on this 1st Saturday of 2026, we repent of refusing to believe you love us as much as you say you do (Eph.3:18-19). We repent of under-believing the Gospel. We repent of blaming others, politics, our sport team, a new puppy—or anything for our bad mood and lack of kindness. Father, you don’t “put up with us” with strained tolerance; you put us “in Christ” with never-ending grace. Hallelujah and thank you.
If a verse could be turned into a one-a-day spiritual vitamin with instant results, I’d chose this one: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4:32). There is no such pill; but there is you Father, the work of your Spirit, the love of Jesus, the riches of your grace, and dear believing friends. By all of these expressions of your kindness, change us, Abba. So Very Amen.
