Be Kind to One Another
"One Another" Study, Lesson 2
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Over the last three weeks, we’ve looked at the command to love one another. We looked at this command first because it is the foundation on which all the other “one another” commands are built. If we don’t first love others, then we won’t be very successful in our interactions with other believers as well as non-believers.
This week, we will look at several commands that flow from our love to help us treat other people well. I summed this up in the command to be kind to one another, but it’s so much more than that.
Be Kind and Compassionate to One Another
We’ll start our discussion with the verse that sums up this section.
Ephesians 4:32: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
We are called to treat each other with kindness and compassion. This produces much the same outcome as treating each other from a heart of love. Just as we saw last week that love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8), kindness and compassion produces a heart of forgiveness.
Clothe Yourselves with Humility Toward One Another
If we are to treat each other with love and kindness, what is the one thing we can’t do? Elevate ourselves to be better or more important than other people. Those who live with too much pride end up being selfish and entitled. But those who live with humility think of others before they think of themselves.
Philippians 2:3-4: 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
1 Peter 5:5: In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”
Romans 12:10b: Honor one another above yourselves.
Ephesians 5:21: Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
In the kingdom of God, it’s opposite of what we might think based on the preferences of this world. In this world, it’s all about status and success and power and fame. But in God’s kingdom, those who humble themselves are the ones who will be lifted up in the end.
James 4:10: Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
Matthew 19:30: But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
As Christians, we shouldn’t strive to have everyone cater to our own needs. Instead, we should think of others before we think of ourselves.
Speak Truthfully to One Another
Most of the “one another” commands we find are in the New Testament. However, the Old Testament has a few as well that can guide how we interact with others.
Zechariah 8:16-17: 16 These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; 17 do not plot evil against each other, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the Lord.
We will focus on some of these commands in a future lesson. For this lesson, I want to focus on speaking the truth to each other. Because God is truth, we should also speak truth to each other, not out of harshness or hate but out of love.
Ephesians 4:15: Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
Here we are, back to love again. We speak truthfully to one another because this pleases God and because it helps us grow our faith to maturity. If we are going astray in our lives, following after sin, we should want our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to step in and speak truth to us to help us get back on track, and we should do the same for them. But when we do this, do it in such a way that you portray humility, forgiveness, and kindness rather than pettiness, pride, and judgment.
Be Devoted to One Another in Love
Another act that flows from love is our devotion to one another.
Romans 12:10a: Be devoted to one another in love.
If we love one another, we will be devoted to each other. This means we will act in others’ best interests rather than our own. We will be there for them when they need us. And in turn, they will do the same for us.
Strive to Do What Is Good for Each Other
Finally, as we interact with others, we should strive to do what is good for each other.
1 Thessalonians 5:15: Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.
When we act, we should think about how it might affect others. If our actions will bring harm to someone else, or if it will favor one group while tearing down another group, then maybe we need to rethink those actions. Instead, find an action that will elevate everyone, not just a select few.
Conclusion
This group of commands starts to give us a picture of how a Christian should interact with others. We should have an attitude of humility that thinks of others above ourselves and leads us to be kind and compassionate to others. We should speak truthfully to each other to help us mature in our faith, and we should be devoted to one another and do what is good for the whole group. Which of these attitudes or actions do you need to work on in your own life?