Kindness & Worthiness
Scripture:
Ephesians 4:1-2
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
John 4:9-10
The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
Reflection:
Today I choose to feast on kindness and worthiness.
Kindness is a virtue that replaces envy. Worthiness heals wounds of shame and condemnation. Kindness and worthiness come together when we see ourselves and others through God’s eyes.
Consider Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman in John 4. The woman comes to the well filled with shame, guilt and condemnation. Jesus meets her with words of kindness and worthiness and she is forever changed. Knowing that she is fully known and fully loved by God allows her to extend love to her neighbours, inviting them to come and encounter Jesus for themselves.
Jesus longs to meet us with the same words of kindness and worthiness, reminding us of our true calling to receive love and share that love with others. When we allow the words of Christ to wash over us we may find that the grip of envy begins to fade in our lives as our judgement turns to compassion and condemnation turns to care.
Questions for Personal Reflection:
What stands out to me from my reflections this week? What might God still want to teach me?
How can I incorporate practices of kindness and worthiness into my life today? How I continue these practices throughout my life?
Prayer:
Share with God any lingering thoughts, questions or feelings from this week. Thank God for the gifts of kindness and worthiness that provide a path forward from envy. Ask God to help you practice kindness and worthiness in ways that are life-giving.
These devotions have been adapted from “Lenten Healing: 40 Days to Set You Free from Sin” by Ken Kniepmann.
