Fruit of the Spirit –
Kindness …. a deeper look
part 5 of 9
What is kindness? Kindness starts with caring —being
tenderhearted and compassionate toward others. Let's look at what, according to
Scripture, accompanies true kindness:
Ephesians 4:31-32 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and
clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one
another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. *
So, how important is kindness? In a 2003 study of 37
cultures around the world, 16,000 subjects were asked about their most desired
traits in a mate. For both sexes, the first preference was kindness!
We often think about kindness in terms of a single “act of
kindness” instead of a lifestyle. However, the Bible tells us that we are to
clothe ourselves in kindness, which goes far beyond just doing kind things for
others every now and then.
The Greek word for “kind” is chrestos. Part of its meaning
is “useful”, which makes it clear that biblical kindness involves action also.
Our world places more emphasis on actions than words. For the most part, this
is true but it doesn't mean words are not important also. Encouraging words of
comfort, courtesy, compliments and even correction can be heartwarming acts of
kindness. As attested in:
Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and
dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness, and patience.” – wear kindness. like a beautiful set of clothes.
People want to be treated kindly but have a harder time
being kind themselves. A large-scale study of school bullies was recently
conducted to learn why they bully other kids. The conclusion? Most do it
because they enjoy doing it.
This illustrates how cruel, mean and sadistic raw human
nature is. Kindness is another one of those things that must be learned, and
many children are not being taught it.
In fact, much of the media they’re exposed to teaches the
opposite. Violence and other terrible influences in media entertainment cause
people to become desensitized and calloused toward the needs and feelings of
others.
Some people think kindness is weak—not something for
“go-getters” to be bothered with. Big mistake! If we want God, who has ultimate
control of how things go in the universe, to be kind to us, we’d better be kind
to others.
Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain
mercy
Proverbs 12:10 Whoever is righteous has regard for the life
of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel. or in another translations,
If God wants us to be kind to animals, how much more should we be to
undeserving people.
Next, we must make it our goal and habit to be actively
looking for opportunities to show kindness. When we see one, we need to act
quickly before the opportunity is gone. Part of allowing the full Fruit to work
in your life is to strive to apply kindness to your lives in the following
ways...
Kindness with your words It’s incredibly easy to be unkind
with your words. Saying the first thing that comes to mind, or not taking time
to think about your attitude before you speak can result in a lot of hurt
feelings and a lot of regretted words. However, it can also be incredibly easy
to be kind with your words. How? By taking a little extra time to think about
your words before you speak them out loud. This may sound like a lot of work,
but it’s really not. Actually, it’s pretty easy. You just need to ask yourself
one question: Are these words kind? If the answer is yes, that’s awesome.
Clothe yourself in kindness with your words! If the answer is no, then just
don’t say them. Think of a different way to say what you want to say, this time
using kindness.
What to say and not say should be guided by awareness of the
sensitivities of others. We must help people heal from their emotional wounds
rather than rubbing salt in those wounds. Sadly, when people know what “buttons
to push,” they often use that insight to further hurt each other.
Kindness with your actions Our actions should be kind. This
may seem like a “duh” point, but ask yourself—do you take the time to think
about whether or not your actions are done in kindness? In the busyness of
everyday life, kindness can quickly become something that is shoved aside in
favor of convenience. Why? Because it’s just not convenient to be kind! It’s
way easier to just be selfish.
Kindness with your Attitude This can be a tricky one. How
many of you struggle with having a kind attitude all the time? Think about
it—when someone is getting on your nerves, is your attitude toward them kind?
What about when someone is unkind to you? Or what about when
things don’t work out the way you wanted them to—does your attitude always show
kindness? If this is something you struggle with, ask God to help you! When you
feel yourself struggling to have a kind attitude, pray and ask Him to help you
have more kindness in your heart and less of whatever else is going on.
Job 6:14 Anyone who
withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty.” –
Kindness should begin with our kin. Ironically and
tragically, many people display their most unkind behavior with the ones they
should love the most. God is not unaware of this hypocrisy. God's standard
requires being kind to all. Strangers are another subject altogether!! But
these people need kindness more than anyone! Persistent efforts to be kind to
them can gradually convince them that you are a true friend. Furthermore, your
kindness can not only bring about healing for their wounded hearts, but can
encourage them to mirror your example, thus filling the world with more
kindness!!!
How to cultivate kindness Philippians 2:3-5 Do nothing from
selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than
yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the
interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ
Jesus * Our innate human nature must be replaced by God’s nature, and that can
happen by receiving the gift of God’s Spirit dwelling in us and the wonderful
fruit it produces: “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).
Each characteristic here clearly relates to the others.
Longsuffering, the previous one explained in this series of articles on the
fruit of God’s Spirit, and is an important component of love:
1Corinthians 13:4 “Love suffers long (is patient) and is
kind”
Another example is the “virtuous wife” of Proverbs 31 fame,
who diligently attends to the needs of her family and of many others. “She extends her hand to the poor, yes, she
reaches out her hands to the needy.” (Proverbs 31:20). “And on her tongue, is
the law of kindness” (Proverbs 31:26).
May ALL of our tongues be guided by the law of kindness!
Jesus Christ practiced kindness that was radical for that time and culture. He
always had great concern for women as well as men, for children as well as
adults, for other races as well as the Jewish race, and for the sick and weak
as well as the strong. Often, He wore Himself out praying for people, healing
people, feeding people and helping them in other ways.
When Jesus looked on the multitudes of people with all their
problems, sicknesses and confusion, He was “moved with compassion” As we look
at the people around us, we, too, should be moved with compassion. We, too,
should be helping, giving, sharing, caring, encouraging, extending mercy,
filled with compassion and acting on it as we are able—in a word, kind.
With each of us, may the fruit of kindness continue to
blossom and grow. Above all, may we strive to follow in the footsteps of Jesus
Christ, who personified God’s best in the greatest example of loving-kindness
Prayer:
Dear God, If I cannot be brilliant, let me be kind. If I cannot
change the world, let me inspire just one other to do so. If I cannot give away
riches, let me be loving. Let me be known for kindness, for it is the greatest
glory in your eyes! I love you Lord. AMEN!
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