“BE BEING KIND…” The First Command after telling them, “…Let NO UNWHOLESOME {rotten} word proceed from your mouth, but ONLY such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all BITTERNESS and WRATH and ANGER and CLAMOR and SLANDER BE PUT AWAY FROM YOU, along with ALL MALICE.”- {Eph 4:29-31}.
Like a dirty piece of soiled clothing, those vices of evil mentioned above are to be discarded and as it were put on a new garment…the garment of kindness! In a situation concentrate on what you are to be and can be by the empowering of the Holy Spirit to obey the command and show and be KIND.
John Wesley in some of his meetings used to get rotten fruit thrown at him and hit him and his clothes were soiled and the first thing he did when he went to where he was staying was to replace those garments. So too,we can by the grace of God, “Put off” those things that stain and “put on” the garment, attitude, and action of kindness. Kindness is an attribute of love {1 Cor 13:4}. The way it is written is “..be being kind…” continuously. Concentrate and focus on being Kind…
“Be” – (ginomai) means to bring into existence or to become. It is a wonderful picture, “bringing kindness to one another into existence!” Expositors Greek Testament says that the idea of the verb be (ginomai) “is that they had to abandon one mental condition and make their way, beginning there and then, into its opposite.” It is a present imperative, meaning that this is now to become increasingly a new life style, keep on becoming kind. Think of it, be more and more kind in your dealing with others. Such is Christianity! In several verses God’s kindness {Luke 6:35; Rom 2:4; Eph 4;32; 1 Peter 2:3;} “Kind,”– describes being “well adapted to fulfill a purpose, and describes what is useful, suitable, excellent, pleasant, serviceable! It is a goodness which is kind, useful to others! Kind as opposed to being harsh, bitter, hard, sharp, caustic. Fit for use, able to be used. Mild, pleasant! Kindness looks outward and not a. It seeks to be kind, useful, to serve others.”Fit for use, able to be used”
That garment of grace is a better reflection of who you are “In Christ…”
CHOICES TO MAKE;
Choose Kindness rather than rotten speech. Choose Kindness rather than Bitterness. Choose Kindness rather than Wrath.Choose Kindness rather than Anger. Choose Kindness rather than Clamor. Choose Kindness rather than Slander. Chose Kindness rather than all types of Malice!
NOTE TO SELF; In any and all circumstances…
1. I am COMMANDED to be…Kind
2. I have the CAPACITY to throw off the old attitudes, actions and response, and “put on” being…Kind
3. I am to CHOOSE to be…Kind
4. It is CHRISTLIKE… to be…Kind
THOUGHT TO REMEMBER;
I am not responsible for the action, reaction of another only my own attitudes and actions before Him…And He says…
“BE BEING KIND….”-{Eph 4:32}