We live in a rather cruel world, don’t we? This isn’t exactly a surprise. Ever since the Garden of Eden, our earth has been permanently marred and mutilated by sin and the sinful choices of mankind. But this doesn’t make it any easier to watch the horrible events that take place on a daily basis. To watch young women with bright futures be assaulted or murdered by wicked criminals. To watch foreign military forces bomb civilian areas in neighboring nations. To watch our loved ones become so hopeless that they turn to drugs, drinking, debt, or even their own death.
When we observe all that happens in our world as it rotates on its axis, it can be difficult to look upon all that cruelty, wickedness, and sin and remember the goodness and kindness of God. It calls up that age-old question we all consider from time to time—“How can a God that is truly good allow such bad things to happen?” But Nate Pickowicz wrote his newest book, The Kindness of God, to remind us of how we can see and behold God’s kindness in nearly every aspect of our lives.
Pickowicz begins his book with what he calls the “Grand Premise,” a thesis he refers to over and over in the book which underlines how we can understand the kindness of God. He writes,
“God is good; we are sinful. Because of this, we are undeserving of His goodness. But because of God’s mercy, He demonstrates lovingkindness to us. Therefore, every kindness we experience is pure grace and ought to be received with gladness and thankfulness.”[1]
As Pickowicz explains in the book, one of the primary areas we experience God’s kindness is through our salvation and sanctification. We were sinners—enemies of God. He didn’t have to extend grace to us or offer us forgiveness. And yet, while we were still sinners, God offered us the free gift of salvation. He allowed us to repent and turn away from our sinful ways so that we might experience new life. He has gifted us with His Spirit, with His Word, and with the freedom to boldly approach His throne in prayer so that He might sanctify us and prepare us for glory. What a kindness this is!
Our spiritual lives aren’t the only places where we can see the kindness of God. We can also see it in our physical lives. We see it in the relationships that He’s brought into our lives, including our spouses, children, family, the local church, and even God Himself. We see God’s kindness in the things He has blessed us with—our natural gifts and abilities, our personal possessions, as well as that which He has provided to fulfill our needs. It’s even possible to see this divine kindness during our suffering, grief, and tragedy. This kind of kindness isn’t something that we can ever earn or deserve. It is simply given to us by God out of His great goodness and grace.
“Kindness is not owed to us, nor can it be demanded; it is given freely according to God’s own goodness and in accordance with His own divine prerogatives.”[2]
The kindness of God isn’t only for believers. Yes, sometimes it’s easier for believers to recognize acts of God’s kindness in their lives, and we can often witness believers sharing and demonstrating God’s kindness towards others. But God shows kindness to all people, to all nations—regardless of their level of devotion to Him—through His common grace. Yet, unbelievers will not be able to experience the greatest level of God’s kindness to them until they put their faith in Jesus Christ and the work He accomplished on the cross.
“Our only hope—the hope of every person and every nation—is in the finished work of Jesus Christ. And it is by Him alone that God offers grace, goodness, love, and kindness to the undeserving.”[3]
If you’re looking for a short and encouraging read, I recommend picking up a copy of The Kindness of God by Nate Pickowicz. Every chapter is full of easy-to-digest content and rich in biblical references, making this a book that will lift your spirits, point you to Jesus, and remind you of just how kind God has been to you.
A big thank you to Moody Publishers for sending me a complimentary copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.
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[1] Nate Pickowicz, The Kindness of God: Beholding His Goodness in a Cruel World (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2024), 19.
[2] Ibid., 134.
[3] Ibid., 138.
