The fruit of the Spiritis love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentlenes and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) ...
The fruit of the Spiritis love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentlenes and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23)
When you think of kindness, what comes
to mind? An encouraging note sent by a friend? A caring shoulder to cry
on? Or maybe your mom's chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven?
Whatever you think about, it most likely includes a warm fuzzy feeling.
Kindness just does that. No wonder it's a fruit of the Spirit. When
we're kind, others get to experience that warmth, and whether they
realize it or not they're experiencing some of God's character.
God's Kindness
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us,
not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.
(Titus 3:4-5)
How did the kindness of God appear? Through the life of Jesus Christ.
That's the greatest, most complete picture of kindness we'll ever know.
God saw a whole lot of hurt, brokenness and despair. He saw people with
no hope of breaking free from pain and suffering. And so he sent his Son
to the rescue. There wasn't any logical reason for him to do that. No
one deserved his kindness—we really brought the suffering on ourselves
(see Romans 3:23). But thankfully, God didn't treat us like we deserved.
Do you understand why we didn't deserve God's kindness? Titus
3:3 offers an explanation: "At one time we too were foolish,
disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and
pleasures … " The word that really sticks out to me here is "enslaved."
That's what sin does to us. Like a prisoner shackled and chained in the
deepest, darkest dungeon, our disobedience—our desire to do things our
own way rather than God's—stood between us and freedom. We were deceived
by the things the world said would make us happy—clothes, cars,
popularity. And we were captives to the lusts of our flesh. But when we
accepted the truth—that true life comes only through Christ—the chains
were broken and we were set free.
God knew what we needed before we even asked for it. That's
kindness—the ability to recognize the needs of others and take steps to
meet those needs. Kindness is understanding. It's compassion.
What About You?
- Besides giving you salvation, what are some other ways God has shown you kindness? Make a list of them.
- Read the list over, then write a letter to God thanking him for all the different ways he's been kind to you.
- Ask God to help you recognize his incredible kindness more and more.
Kindness to Others
"You have given me comfort and have spoken kindly to your
servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servant girls."
(Ruth 2:13)
Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi, were experiencing some really rough
times. Both of their husbands were dead, which spelled struggle since
there were few work options for women in their day. On top of that,
they'd just moved back to Naomi's hometown. While that might not sound
so bad, it had been more than a decade since Naomi had lived there, and
people were probably still wondering why she'd left in the first place.
She and her husband had moved away from family and friends to live in
Moab—an enemy nation. Their sons had ended up marrying Moabite women.
Now Naomi had brought one of them back with her—not exactly something
the neighbors would celebrate.
Through this teaching Jesus was also pointing out that true kindness is
impossible unless God does some work in our hearts. Remember that the
next time you have to deal with someone you don't like. Showing them
kindness may seem completely unrealistic, but with God all things are
possible. And he will never expect you to do it alone.
What About You?
- Think of people in your life who you don't like or have trouble getting along with. Why should you show them kindness? How can you show them kindness?
- The next time an "enemy" does something that annoys you, try to understand why they might be acting that way. Maybe they're hurting. Maybe they need you to look past their frustrating behavior and show them love.
- Ask God to help you find practical ways to show grace to your enemies
Show Some Kindness
More verses to read and study
2 Samuel 9:1-13 David and Mephibosheth Psalm 103:2-5
God's kindness to us Psalm 106:7-8
Don't forget God's kindness Isaiah 54:7-10
God's promise of compassion Isaiah 63:7
Reason for praise Jeremiah 31:3
Kindness is a magnet Matthew 5:7
God blesses the merciful Luke 10:25-37
The Good Samaritan Acts 14:17
God's kind provision Romans 2:4
Kindness leads to repentance Ephesians 2:6-7
Expression of God's kindness Philippians 2:19-30
Two examples of kindness Colossians 3:12
Clothe yourself with kindness
Credits: christianitytoday
