“When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us…” (Titus 3:4); “The kindness of God leads you to repentance…” (Rom. 2:4)
Heavenly Father, the Gospel is difference between how much you love us and how well we love. Hallelujah, you don’t love us to the degree we love others, but to the degree you’ve hidden our lives in Christ, which is 100%.
With kindness you led (and lead) us to repentance; and in kindness, you “appeared” in Jesus, and saved us. In our culture of might, spite, and fight, your kindness has never seemed more revolutionary, and needed.
By the riches of grace and power of the Holy Spirit, make us kinder, Father. When did we start taking offense quicker than we give mercy? How did our heart-skin get so thin, and our anger-triggers so “hair-trigger-ish”?
Why do we fertilize our roots of bitterness and resentment (Heb. 12:15), rather than drench them with “Gospel-Roundup” and pull them up with bulldozers? When did relishing “getting even” become more compelling than “getting low” to wash one another’s feet?
Father, forgive us. Dull our sharp edges, thaw our “chilly” attitudes, humble our haughty hearts. Free us to extend the same loving-kindness you lavish on us in Jesus. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ tender and loving name.