Luke 6:35
“…for he (God) is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. “

I was reading along in familiar verses and this popped out at me. When thinking about wicked and ungrateful people, “kind” seems like a strong verb. I can imagine God not going out of his way to punish or even just tolerating those who behave badly or who don’t appreciate Him, BUT to actively be KIND to them seems a stretch. This verse reminds me that it is God’s nature to truly be good to us. He is love and doesn’t even have to go out of his way to be kind because that’s who he is. He wants me to be so much like him that I can actually be called his child and it IS a stretch for me. Now all of verse 35 that is more familiar becomes more of a challenge to me because it’s no longer a passive exercise, but an active agape request. “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.” And then in verse 36 he reiterates God’s nature and his hope for our heart condition as well: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

PRAYER:  Dear God, I pray that you help our hearts to become even more like yours, capable of being love, regardless of how it’s received, because it’s who you want us to really be.