Based on The Fruit of the Spirit Study, by LGG / W3D3
Today’s Road Map for the Journey: Proverbs 19:11; Colossians 3:12-14; SOAP: Colossians 3:12
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Colossians 3:12. NLT
The apostle Paul has much to say about anger, not just here in Colossians, but also in his letters to the Ephesians, Timothy, and the Church in Rome. It was clearly a hot-button issue then as it is now. From road rage to school shootings and parents fighting over Little League sports, I can’t help but think that the Church in America would have received a similar letter from Paul if he were still here today. If we read the verses leading up to verse 12, we can see Paul wrote these warnings against anger because he understood what it could lead to. Anger left unchecked often gives way to bitterness and/or a desire for vengeance, which can grow and lead to more sinful thoughts and actions.1 Paul warns the believers that this type of anger has no place in the life of a believer. Instead, we are to clothe ourselves with love, which binds us all together as one body. We are to get rid of sinful anger2, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and filthy language.
Outbursts of uncontrolled anger are not meant to be found in the life of a Christian.3
Because sinful anger has no place in the life of a believer, Paul addresses anger in several New Testament letters. The key passages include:
- Ephesians: In Ephesians 4:26-27, Paul advises, “Be angry, and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” This highlights the importance of resolving anger quickly to prevent it from leading to sin.
- Colossians: In Colossians 3:8, Paul instructs believers to put away anger, rage, malice, and slander, indicating that unchecked anger can lead to harmful behaviors.
- Romans: While not explicitly focused on anger, Romans 12:19 advises against seeking vengeance, suggesting a broader teaching on managing anger and leaving judgment to God.
- 1 Timothy: In 1 Timothy 2:8, Paul encourages that men should pray without anger or quarreling, emphasizing the need for peace in worship.
Commentary From the LGG Journal
Kindness is one of those fruits that sounds beautiful in theory but can feel nearly impossible in practice. I know there have been moments in my own life where choosing kindness was the last thing I wanted to do. Maybe you know that feeling too.
It is easy to be kind to the people who are kind to us or make our lives easier. But what about the difficult coworker who gets under your skin? The family member who knows exactly which buttons to push? The friend who let you down when you needed her most? Or the stranger who was rude for absolutely no reason at all?
That is where kindness gets costly, and that is exactly where God meets us. Colossians 3 tells us to clothe ourselves with kindness. Each morning, we are to put on kindness the same way we pick out our outfits and get dressed. Clothing is a daily, deliberate choice. Nobody accidentally gets dressed. Paul is telling us that kindness is the same way. It is not something that just happens naturally; it is something we have to choose to wear intentionally every single day.
The kindness God calls us to is not a personality trait or a feeling we have to drum up from somewhere inside ourselves. It is His kindness, not ours, that flows through us, reaching people we could never reach in our own strength.
Joseph chose kindness toward the very brothers who had sold him into slavery. That was a Spirit-produced, God-glorifying kindness that could only come from a man deeply rooted in God’s love.
Make no mistake, choosing kindness in the hard moments is one of the most powerful things you will ever do. It reflects a heart that has been changed by God. It points people to Jesus in a way that words alone never could. And it reminds the world around you that there is something different about the way you live.
Borrowed and shared from LGG Digital Journal p 101/ The Fruit of the Spirit
Reflection and Application
Who in your life is it hardest to show kindness to right now? What is one intentional step you can take toward that person this week?
Response of Prayer
Father, help me to put on love, to put away any sinful anger – knowing that it has no place in the lives of Your children. Let kindness grow in the place of anger, so that others might see Jesus in me. Thank You for Your living and active Word, still relevant and helpful today, a lamp for my feet in this dark world and a light to guide my path. ~ Amen and amen
