Thank you to my daughter Ali for providing the photo for this blog.
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (Colossians 3:12-15 ESV)
Put on then- kindness. The Apostle Paul encourages his readers to add kindness as a condition of being. Kindness should season how we walk out our faith in humble submission to the authority of our Messiah, Jesus. The children of God are to adorn themselves with kindness as an expression of faith. This done in response to the kindness of God extended to us as He came to this earth to rescue us from sin. While we were yet sinners, enemies of God, Jesus came to us to deliver us from the bondage of sin. It was Jesus who exhibited kindness to us that is beyond description. Therefore out of reverence for our King, we too should express kindness according to our faith.
But how is kindness expressed? If we attempt to define kindness according to human reason, we will yield diverse definitions based upon personal preferences. Kindness defined by the human will be stricken with uncertainty as all humans have slightly varying perspectives regarding what it is to be kind. It is therefore essential that we define the term kindness according to the Word of God. In the verses listed above, the Apostle Paul instructs us to adopt kindness as a characteristic of our faith. In the Greek the word kindness used in verse twelve is: χρηστότης (G5544- khray-stot’-ace, Kindness).[1] This word is defined as moral goodness, integrity. Already we can see parameters established within the definition to help us understand what type of kindness we are to adopt. We are, as defined by God, to put on kindness or in other words moral goodness. We are to walk with integrity as living witnesses of the authority of the Lord in our lives. To be kind does not simply suggest expressing a kind gesture to others, kindness should become a guiding principle informing our character. We are to be kind. We are to seek moral goodness as defined by the Word of God so that we can be people of integrity. We are to humble ourselves to the authority of the Lord and allow Him to direct our steps which are seasoned with kindness, integrity. We are to do our best to apply kindness to our lives as an expression of the kindness we were given by our Redeemer. This act is not done out of selfish ambition, rather it is done to honor our Savior.
As children of our God, we are to follow His lead and be informed by His Word. The Lord declares to us what is required of His children. His instruction to us is recorded by the prophet Micah. “He has told you, O man, what is good;And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?”[2]Accurately the prophet Micah declares the instruction the Lord has given to us defining our walk. The Lord defines what is good in the context of our response to Him. One of the aspects of good as defined by God is to love kindness. This thought connects back to what the Apostle Paul tells us in Colossians. We are to put on kindness or as recorded by Micah, we are to love kindness. The term kindness in the Hebrew is the word חֶסֶד (H2617- kheh’-sed, Kindness).[3] This is a beautiful term. It is used throughout the Hebrew Scripture and it is most often used as an expression of mercy. The prophet Micah reminds us that the Lord requires of us to not only be merciful, but to love mercy. To love חֶסֶד- kheh’-sed. We are to love mercy because mercy was shown unto us. It was out of the love of our Savior that we were first shown mercy. It was His joy to go to the cross to win us back because of His love.[4] Our Savior went to the cross for joy. This is incomprehensible to us. While we were yet enemies of God as conformed to our sin nature, Jesus filled with חֶסֶד- kheh’-sed chose to endure the cross as an act of indescribable love for us. It was His joy to endure the suffering because He knew that His suffering would bring about the ultimate act of mercy leading to Salvation.
We are recipients of חֶסֶד- kheh’-sed, the lovingkindness of our Messiah poured out for the whosoever. The mercy of Jesus extended to those who would receive His mercy is a demonstration of His love for us, His children. Therefore, seek to walk in kindness, חֶסֶד- kheh’-sed. Seek to be a living expression of the kindness that was first given. Jesus gave us of His kindness. He gave us of His mercy in the suffering that He endured on our behalf. As His people it is only fitting that we act in reverence for our King showing kindness to others. This is an act that can bring those who need mercy to the One who has shown mercy, Jesus. This is an act that can comfort those who need to receive comfort as only the Lord can provide. Allow kindness as defined by the Lord to define you as His child. To God be the glory!
Pastor Corby
[1] “χρηστότης,” Blue Letter Bible, 2025, https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5544/kjv/tr/0-1/. Accessed on May 12, 2025.
[2] Micah 6:8 NASB95
[3] “חֶסֶד,” Blue Letter Bible, 2025 https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h2617/kjv/wlc/0-1/. Accessed on May 12, 2025.
[4] Hebrews 12:1-3
Thank you to my daughter Ali for providing the photo. This photo also serves as the cover image for a Bible study I recently completed writing titled: Appointed Times. In this study, the Appointed Times of the Lord are examined. The festivals described in the Hebrew texts are connected to the revelation of Jesus our Savior. Each set apart event serves as a picture of Jesus. The Hebrew Scripture reveals the promises fulfilled in our Messiah. Throughout the study the entirety of our Bible is examined to bring this truth to light.
The Bible study is available on my website: https://corbyshuey.com.
For more information regarding the work of my daughter Ali, visit her website at:
Corby Shuey 