Romans 2:4  Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? (NIV)

Romans 2:3-4  “You didn’t think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? Or did you think that because he’s such a nice God, he’d let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he’s not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.” (MSG)

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We are drawn to what we focus on. 

Have you ever tried really hard to diet, only to find you can’t stop thinking about food? And usually not the kind of food that helps you maintain a fit and trim lifestyle? This is obviously a common experience. 

God, in his kindness, draws our attention to his better way. In which way is it better? In which way is it not? Everything God offers us is superior to everything competing against it. 

In his kindness, God leads us to repentance. Repentance is the great exchange. It exchanges unhealthy diets, and not just mealtime diets, for healthy ones. It exchanges unwholesome lifestyles for wholesome ones. It exchanges a worldview focused entirely on ourselves for a worldview completely shaped by his grace and goodness. 

Repentance changes our point of view. We see things as God sees them. 

Repentance changes our lifestyle. When we live in the grip of His grace, that grace overflows into the lives of those we meet along the way. 

Repentance changes our mindset from wanting to have to wanting to give. 

Repentance is a positive reorientation of everything about our lives. It renews and restores. It refreshes and redeems. 

The kindness God uses to draw us to this place of radical reorientation is the kindness he builds into our lives to help others discover what we have discovered. 

How do you know someone has truly been redeemed? They are increasingly kind. The longer a person truly walks with God, the more they bear His characteristic kindness. I’ve said it before. It probably wouldn’t hurt to say it again. We don’t get to be jerks for Jesus. 

How do we develop this kindness? We focus more on Jesus. We listen to what he said. We watch what he did. We go and do likewise. 

In Galatians 5:22-23, the apostle Paul gives us the fruit of the Spirit. Right in the middle of that list is kindness. The more closely we walk with God, the more kindness flows from our lives. 

This is a character quality worth focusing on. This is a character quality to ask God to build into our lives. This character quality will help us lead others to the kind of repentance that exchanges everything unkind and unwholesome for what truly redeems, refreshes, and renews. 

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I will focus on God’s kindness so that I might become ever more kind like him. 

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Our Father, thank you for your kindness. From our perspective, it would be okay if you just slapped us around a little bit every now and then. Thank you for your better perspective. Make us ever kinder and ever more like you. May this be one of those distinguishing fruits of what you are doing in our lives, and may your kindness through us lead others to that place of repentance and renewal. Amen.