Got Charis?

Charis is the greek word for “kindness,” but which is most often translated as “grace” in the scriptures. The word “grace” is a rich theological word in Christian circles. But in the culture at large it has little meaning, and mostly for those with distant memories of Sunday School.

So as I read the scriptures, I’ve started substituting the word “kindness” for “grace.” It brings a freshness to each passage, and still captures the heart of the Father, like here in Ephesians 2:5:

…even when we were dead in our transgressions, God made us alive together with Christ (by kindness you have been saved).

After reading numerous passages this way, I prayed for more kindness. I said to him, I need more of your charis. I need more of your kindness.

Without a beat, he replied: You have all of my kindness you can handle.

And I knew this was true. His kindness is not withheld, or given sparingly. He does not dispense kindness because I do good things, or as a reward for good behavior.

He pours his kindness into my cup until it overflows. How much of his kindness I have is measured by the size of my cup, not by the size of his.

Increase my capacity to handle more of your kindness! I responded. And then I understood the reference to Jesus a little more than before.

And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature and charis with God and men. Luke 2:52