Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you—Ephesians 4:32.

Several years ago, I was preaching one morning on today’s Scripture, and we had a big hiccup in our sound system. The microphone was popping, squealing, and screeching. Needless to say, I was very frustrated with the whole situation.

I stepped off the stage after the sermon intending to go share my frustration with the people in the sound room. But just as I was about to open the door, I remembered the verse I preached that morning. I probably would’ve handled it OK regardless, but I do know I had an extra measure of grace in light of the verse that was fresh in my mind.

Walking away from that day, I really spent some time thinking about what our lives would look like if before every decision we made, we remembered what God’s Word said first. And I believe one of the biggest areas of our lives that would change is how we treat others.

It’s my prayer that the people of God would love one another so well that the world would see us and say, “Something is different about them.” Love one another with kindness and compassion. Not only will you be obedient to God, but you’ll also give the world a glimpse of the hope that’s in you.