Our previous studies revealed that the word kind is connected to a term suggesting family relationships. Therefore, today’s passage associating kindly with brotherly love makes perfect sense. The book of Romans instructs believers to be “kindly affectioned one to another.” By being kindly affectioned, believers will naturally exhibit “brotherly love” toward each other. The Bible reveals God as the Christian’s Father. This relationship indicates that each believer is related as a part of the same family, the family of God. How should family members treat other family members? The context of today’s passage reveals that believers should prefer others before themselves (Romans 12:10), distribute to the necessities of other saints (Romans 12:13), and give themselves to hospitality (Romans 12:13). In other words, believers should treat other believers as members of one’s family. As many Christians soon find out, the relationships enjoyed between fellow believers will frequently be closer than those enjoyed with blood relatives.
Far too many of today's pundits sanction giving others whatever they want in an attempt to display true love. Parents have become increasingly trapped in this dilemma being convinced that they fail their children unless they give them every new gadget. The husbands thought to love the most are the ones who shower their wives with the most, the best, and do so frequently. The average person may find these scenarios reasonable, but they remain completely contrary to the word of God. In fact, the Bible expresses just the opposite. Today's passage reveals that a righteous man could actually smite someone with his words in kindness. A righteous man will always offer a rebuke (or correction) to those heading in the wrong direction. The intention of such a rebuke is to set the person back on the right track; true biblical kindness at work. Proverbs extols the virtues of those wounds gained when offered in the spirit of kindness and friendship (Proverbs 27:6). Kindness is never demonstrated by simply telling others what they want to hear but often confirmed through open rebuke (Proverbs 27:5).
