Helen Brenneman writes: “There was a man who had a heart transplant. But the operation was a total failure. For the man was a mean man and the heart was a kind heart. His body simply rejected it.”
The Bible, however, tells us about a successful heart transplant: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws” (Ezekiel 36:26).
Like the mean man mentioned above, we as humans have a predisposition to be unkind! Unfortunately, even our salvation experience does not make us immune to that temptation. Christians can be terribly cruel, leaving no distinction between them and someone who doesn’t have Christ in their hearts and lives only for themselves. Probably, without meaning to be, most all of us are cruel at times. The Bible teaches us, however, that in order to please God we must cultivate the fruit of kindness. God’s Word is replete with verses that speak to this truth.
Ephesians 4:31-32 state, “get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Colossians 3:12-13 tells us to, “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Having a kind demeanor is possible only through the kind of heart transplant described in Ezekiel, one that is the direct result of the power of the Holy Spirit active in one’s life. It is only as we submit ourselves daily to the washing and renewal of the Holy Spirit that we receive this empowerment to be kind through the generous gift of Jesus. (Titus 3:15)
Moses tried to do ministry at times in his own strength. At one point, early on, he was so dependent on himself that he became enraged and killed an Egyptian. Only after long years as a shepherd and then an encounter with Yahweh at the burning bush did Moses become the meekest of men and a powerful leader of God’s people. We, too, can become totally different people when we receive a change of heart that enables us to be kind to others.
You can’t always stop people from hating you, but you don’t have to hate them back. You can’t always make people love you, but you can always love them back.
By way of application, read Romans 12:14-21, asking God to help you receive the heart transplant you need today in order to reflect His kindness to those around you.