I’ve
heard it well said that The fruit of the
Spirit is the resulting character of someone who is allowing the
Holy Spirit to develop maturity in their life.
To
express kindness is no exception to this because we need The Holy Spirit to
work in and through us to develop and express kindness!
If we're honest, kindness isn't very easy sometimes to practice and live out and this is especially true in an often unkind culture. However, we're supposed to be in and not of this world so we are without excuse for times when we're constantly unkind because we're called to grow in the wisdom and knowledge of Him. As we do, He will prayerfully help us grow in The Fruit of The Spirit as He's The One Who gives us the spiritual gifts in the first place!
What is Kindness?
Kindness is something that we, through the Holy Spirit’s empowerment, purposefully
do!
The Greek word that is translated for “kindness” is chrēstotēs which essentially means tender concern/care or uprightness.
It is kindness of heart and kindness of action. Kindness is something you see in others and hopefully see in yourself as well as others see in you.
Kindness
is something we see described in Philippians 2:3-4. "Do nothing from rivalry 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."
It’s
the considering one another as more important than ourselves...
It’s
looking out for one another...
Kindness
seeks no reward for oneself...
It’s
in the little things as well as the big things...
It’s not a selfish attempt to get something for ourselves!
Kindness
is really a mindset and something where we have to shift our minds or change
our stinking thinking.
Kindness
is something we desperately need prayer and the active Help of the Holy Spirit
to experience and bear.
You know people who are the kindest of people. Be like them.
So, what is the opposite of kindness?
Anger, bitterness, envy, strife, coveting, maliciousness, hatred, cruelty, being mean, holding grudges. Being petty. Having selfish motives and more. All of these things are the opposite of kindness and we need to reject these things in our own lives!
What are examples of kindness?
How can we be kind to one another?
God’s Kindness:
Kindness is part of the
characteristic that led God to provide salvation for us:
Titus 3:4-7 (ESV) "But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our
Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness,
but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of
the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our
Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to
the hope of eternal life."
It’s the kindness of God we see
in Psalms 23:2-3 (ESV) where the Psalmist says:
"He makes me lie down in green
pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his
name’s sake."
It is God's tender care that
makes Him gather us under His wings, to protect us and keep us close to Him and
to be our refuge.
Psalms 36:7 (ESV) - "How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The
children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings."
Psalms 17:8-9 (ESV) - "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the
shadow of your wings, from the wicked who do me violence, my deadly enemies who
surround me."
Psalms 46:1-3 (ESV) - God is our refuge and strength, a very present help
in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the
mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
The truth is, if God was unkind and unloving, no one could or would take refuge in Him would they?
It was kindness that led Jesus
to stop what He was doing and help others in need:
Mark 6:34 (ESV) - "When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on
them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach
them many things."
Jesus was busy and always in
demand but He helped people anyway.
And kindness leads the Good
Shepherd to rescue us when we stray which we see in the Parable Jesus taught in
Luke 15:3-7 (ESV):
"So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if
he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country,
and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it,
he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors,
saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just
so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."
For us to express kindness toward those who are against us requires the work of God:
2 Corinthians 6:4-7 (ESV) "but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every
way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments,
riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;
by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love;
by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for
the right hand and for the left;"
Our instruction to be kind:
God wants us to be more like Him!
When we experience the Kindness of Christ, His love, grace and mercy and much more becomes real to us and in turn, we can share His love, grace and mercy with others, even those we feel don't deserve it.
Furthermore, when you are kind to others, His love, grace and mercy can become real to others (who may have never experienced kindness their entire life) because they see Christ in you!
2 Peter 1:5-8 (ESV) "For this very reason, make every effort to supplement
your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with
self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with
godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with
love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from
being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Or some versions translate as
“brotherly kindness” (2 Peter 1:7) Instead of “affection”
We're instructed to make every effort
to put on Kindness and many other character qualities!
We’re told to put on these things. Not a suggestion but a command:
Col 3:12-15 (ESV) "Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and
beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving
each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above
all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And
let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in
one body. And be thankful."
How to Grow in Kindness:
We need to pray and ask for The Holy Spirit's help to be kind an grow in the spiritual gift of kindness. We have to strive to practice kindness moment-by-moment! The Little things count!
For example, when you’re at a gathering somewhere, if you see someone who tends
to be alone – try to show them someone cares. Show them kindness.
If you're out and about on a hot day and you see someone who is homeless, hand them a bottle of water.
If someone asks you to do something that you don't think is your job or you don't want to do, do it anyway.
When someone is unkind to you, pray for them and try with everything within you to be kind in return. In other words, don't return unkindness with more unkindness.
When you're driving your car and someone cuts you off...strive to let it go and realize you don't know what is going on in their lives.
The truth is that Jesus endured a lot of unkindness and like Jesus, kindness is humbly giving of
ourselves in love, compassion and mercy to others who may not be able to give
anything back including those we feel don't deserve it or who frequently don’t thank us
for it.
It's being kind regardless of what you do or don't receive in return.
Keep in mind that kindness is not dependent on our feelings, rather, we're to be kind even when we don't feel like it. That's where The Holy Spirit often helps us.
Furthermore, kindness,
love, mercy and compassion and grace are what we’ve been given from God yet
none of us deserved it!
Kindness Challenge:
Challenge #1: Let me challenge you to turn even your
random acts of kindness into purposeful, fruit filled and fruit full acts of
kindness.
There’s a saying that I like,
“Be the change you want to see”…which I agree but in order to do that, the
change has to really begin with you and me!
It has to begin with God
transforming us and empowering us to be His witnesses in the world! Ask Him to
do so and allow Him to do so!
Challenge #2: Let me challenge you to...Go BE That
Change!
Don’t just do “random acts of kindness” but also do intentional acts of kindness. You and I have to live it out! We need to live life on purpose!
Questions to get started with:
-What if every action I made and every word I speak was seasoned with kindness and grace?
-What if I chose to have an attitude of kindness instead of a cranky attitude?
-What if my response to other’s was kind more often than not?
-What if I allowed the Holy Spirit to fully be at work in and through me so I can produce more fruit?
Friend, our world would be a far different place if we all would strive to practice kindness! We as followers of Christ should be leading the way!
Keep growing and lets pray for one another that we'll grow in The Fruit of The Spirit of Kindness!
Blessings in Christ,
Randolph Koch
P.S. I decided it was time to finish the rest of the series I put on pause. :-) In case you missed the previous messages here are the links to first 5 in the series:
