Kindness
Hello Bride of Christ,
When experienced firsthand it can leave one feeling loved. When lacking it can leave one feeling overlooked. It is often encouraged by teachers in the classroom starting as early as kindergarten. Also encouraged by parents within and outside of the home. It is a good quality to look for amongst friends. Also, a quality looked for in fine speech. Taught by Jesus as a way to treat not only our friends but our enemies.
Kindness, chrēstós in Greek, is referred to throughout scripture as a noun to be desired and displayed in the life of a God-believing individual. In its most basic sense the word kind means excellent, useful, or good; in the sense of people it means worthy, decent, honest, and morally upright. Jesus in an effort to teach his disciples how to reflect their God explained in one of His teachings, “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.” (Luke 6:35) Kind is how Jesus described God. Kind is how Jesus expects the sons (children) of the Most High to conduct themselves. According to Jesus, being kind does not depend on the circumstance or recipient; for God, Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. For instance, God to lead His people when they were in rebellion said, “I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.” (Hosea 11:4)If kindness is not dependent on circumstances or people what produces kindness?
Paul, the apostle of Jesus Christ, writes to the believers in Galatia encouraging them that kindness is a product of having a fruitful relationship with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). As with any fruit, it begins with a seed (word of God) being planted in rich soil (our hearts) and being given the proper amount of water (word of God) and sunlight (Jesus). The Holy Spirit who Jesus gave as He departed to help us with all things is the key ingredient to producing kindness in our lives. The Holy Spirit reminds us of all the things Jesus, the Word made flesh, has taught us (John 14:15-16).
Bride of Christ, Jesus mentioned the world cannot accept the Holy Spirit because they neither see Him nor know Him, but you know Him, for He lives with you and is in you (John 14:17). The Spirit of truth revives the word of God which dwells in us richly so that our thoughts, words, and actions towards ourselves and others reflect the Father. Might it be said of us as it is written of the Proverbs 31 woman, “she opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.”(Proverbs 31:26) Sit and learn student for the teacher, the Holy Spirit, has come. Let those who have an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience (Colossians 3:12).
