Day 6 — Kindness

“Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.”

— Ephesians 4:32 (BSB)

After David became king of Israel, he asked a surprising question: “Is there anyone left from the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for the sake of Jonathan?” Saul had been David’s enemy. He had chased David and tried to kill him. But Saul’s son Jonathan had been David’s best friend.

David’s servants found one person: Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth. He had been injured as a little boy, and he couldn’t walk. He was probably terrified when the king sent for him. In those days, a new king often got rid of the old king’s family!

But instead, David said, “Do not be afraid, for surely I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan.” David gave him back his family’s land. And he told Mephibosheth that from now on, he would eat at the king’s table, like one of the king’s own sons. (You can read the whole story in 2 Samuel 9.)

That’s kindness: going out of your way to do good to someone, even when they can’t pay you back.

Paul tells us to be “kind and tenderhearted.” Tenderhearted means having a soft heart, one that notices when someone is hurting and cares about it. The opposite is a hard heart that doesn’t notice or doesn’t care.

Kindness is different from just being “nice.” Nice is not being mean. Kindness is doing something good on purpose. It’s noticing the new kid and saying hi. It’s helping your mom carry groceries without being asked. It’s sending a note to a friend who’s sad. It’s sharing your snack.

And look at the end of the verse: “forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.” That’s the biggest kindness of all. Like Mephibosheth, we didn’t deserve a place at the King’s table. But God, in His kindness, invites us to sit with Him forever. Because we’ve received such kindness, we can show it to others.

Think about it: Who is someone around you who needs kindness right now? What could you do for them?

Try this: Do one secret act of kindness today, something nice for someone without telling anyone you did it.

Dear God, thank You for Your amazing kindness to me. Thank You for forgiving me and inviting me to Your table. Give me a tender heart that notices people who are hurting. Help me show kindness on purpose today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.