The Power of Kindness

God's merciful kindness sets the standard for our posture toward others. Knowing that Jesus "gave himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are truly his, who are eager to do good," (Titus 2:14) we are to leave behind behavior that used to characterize us and still characterizes people around us. But their behavior is to be met by living faith that "must not slander anyone, but be peaceable, gentle, showing complete courtesy to all people" (3:2). Why? Because "when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy . . ." God did not wait for us to get our act together before he was kind to us. Can we demand more before we will be kind to others?