Gently and Patiently Walking Toward One Another: The Importance of Kindness
Interlocutor or antagonist? That’s what it feels like to be a person of faith in the world today. This question is more pressing than ever in light of the current political climate. How do we relate to those who think and believe differently than us? Are we able to listen and understand one another, or are we at perpetual odds? What does the example of Christ teach us about how to navigate these relationships? In a time when people are becoming increasingly polarized, Kindness (or, as some might say, “love”) seems to be an afterthought. But it shouldn’t be. Jesus reminds us that love is our primary calling as Christians, and He commands His followers to show love to not only our fellow believers but also those who don’t share our beliefs. Only when we operate from a place of Kindness can we effectively share the Gospel with non-believers and disciple new believers.
With tender humility and quiet patience, always demonstrate gentleness and generous love toward one another, especially toward those who may try your patience.
Ephesians 4:2
Ephesians 4:2 in context
There’s a lot of weight in this verse. Ephesians 4:2 says, “With tender humility and quiet patience, always demonstrate gentleness and generous love toward one another, especially toward those who may try your patience.” As with many passages in the Bible, this is a call to action and a call to live in a certain way. If we’re to understand this, we must first understand the context of these verses. The apostle Paul writes these words to a new congregation he’s just started in Ephesus, a city in Asia Minor. The Ephesians had just converted to Christianity and were in the midst of developing their identity as a faith community. Paul’s words in this passage are meant to be both aspirational and instructional. They’re a reminder for the Ephesians community and a call for Christians today.
What is Kindness, and why is it important?
When we talk about Kindness, we’re talking about a whole host of qualities and virtues. Kindness is more than just being nice or polite; it’s living with purposeful intentionality. Being kind is about putting the needs of others first, even above our own needs. It’s about being empathetic and open-hearted. It’s about having humility and recognizing our need for God. Being kind is important because it allows us to love as Christ loved. It will enable us to love those who don’t share our beliefs. It allows us to love those who have hate in their hearts. It will help us to love those who are different than us. And this is how we can be a light in a dark world: by loving and being kind to those who don’t see the need for God.
What does the Bible say about Kindness?
As we’ve already discussed, the call to Kindness is not just something we can choose to act on; it’s something we must. If we as Christians want to live out the life that God has for us, we must be patient and show Kindness to others. The Bible also tells us that Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit. You can’t just decide to be kind one day out of the blue, and you have to renew your mind and heart to be kind continually. The Bible tells us that Kindness is more than just a good trait; it’s a command vital to living out our Christianity.
Why is Kindness so difficult?
Let’s be real here. Being kind isn’t easy and is something that we all struggle with at some point in our lives. We’re selfish beings, and we often put ourselves first. But what if being kind is more than just being nice or polite? What if it’s actually a command? And what if we’re actually called to love the people who don’t agree with us or share our values? This is asking a lot of us. Being kind and loving people who don’t see things the way we do isn’t easy. It’s not easy because it’s uncomfortable, it’s difficult, and it sometimes feels unnatural. It’s easy to love those who agree with us, but it’s not always easy to love those who don’t, and it’s definitely not easy to love those who have hurt us.
How can we practice Kindness in our own lives?
If Kindness is something we struggle with, we must ask ourselves what’s at the root of this and why we find it challenging to show Kindness to others. We don’t have to seek out someone to be patient with. We can start by being patient with ourselves. We can practice being forgiving and accepting of who we are. We can build a relationship with God and learn to rely on Him. We can also seek out opportunities to love and serve others. One way we can practice Kindness in our own lives is by starting a daily prayer practice. Prayer is a daily reminder of how we can show God’s love to others and be patient with those who don’t understand our beliefs. We can also be patient when it comes to sharing our faith. Be patient with those you know who don’t share your beliefs, and don’t expect change overnight.
How can we walk gently with those who think differently than us?
Again, this is about being kind. When we engage in debate and argument, we become combative and aggressive. We can’t be kind when we’re attacking someone’s beliefs. We can’t be kind when we’re seeking attention and validation. We must remember that we are here to love and serve others, not win an argument. We have to be humble in our approach. Because while we have the truth and hope of Christ, we also have God’s grace to give. We have to be willing to engage with people who disagree with us. We have to be willing to listen and understand where they’re coming from. And we have to be willing to be wrong and humble enough to admit it when we’re wrong. We also have to be willing to walk away from a conversation or argument. It’s not worth engaging in a fight when we can’t walk away from it with a clean conscience.
Bottom line: Be a person of Kindness, no matter what.
As Christians, we’re called to love and be kind to all people, regardless of their beliefs. We’re called to walk gently with those who think differently than us. We’re called to walk gently with those who believe differently than us. We’re called to walk gently with those who disagree with us. In short, we’re called to walk gently with everyone. And this isn’t easy. It’s difficult because it goes against our sinful nature. It isn’t easy because it means letting go of our pride and our need for attention and validation. It isn’t easy because it means putting the needs and wants of others before us. But if we’re to be the light in a dark world that Christ has called us to be, we must be patient and kind. We must be willing to walk gently with those who differ from us.
