Fruit of the Spirit is Kindness or being a Kinder and Gentler Christian
Col. 3:12 Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves; you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. As a child of God this verse says one must clothe yourself which to me means you must put it on as you would your clothes in the morning. When you wake up in the morning you choose what your life is gong to be like. This verse tells us that we need to put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. We choose what our attitude is going to be for that day. That is why when I get up my first doing is to read God’s word, pray and do some exercise. These things get my mind and body ready for the day. If I start by looking at the TV, reading the newspaper or listening to the radio I let that be the guide to my attitude. I also like to eat slowly and relax before I go out for my day to get the sense that God is in control. As we get out minds set on the right things and expect to have a good day it helps us to treat others right and enjoy life. Kindness is love in action. There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, ’If I could only see the world, I will marry you.’ One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend. He asked her, ’Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?’ The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn’t expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him. Her boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: ’Take good care of your eyes, my dear; for before they were yours, they were mine.’ This is how the human brain often works when our status changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations. Life Is a Gift. Today before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who can’t speak. Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat. Before you complain about your husband or wife, think of someone who’s crying out to GOD for a companion. Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who went too early to heaven. Before whining about the distance, you drive Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet. And when you are tired and complain about your job, think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job. And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down, put a smile on your face and think: you’re alive and still around.
As we view our day I would like us to think of how we can show kindness. What can I do deliberately to show that I am a kind person? We know that God is kind to us so we are just following in His way. Grace is linked to kindness. A kind heart most resembles Godliness. If we are kind then we set an example for others to be kind to us. MT 7:12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you. PR 11:17 A kind man benefits himself.”
Let us look at ways we can put on kindness.
1. I would like to say the first thing we need to do is to become tender hearted or Responsive to the needs of those we come in contact with. Phil 2:4 “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” The word that sticks out here is LOOK. Many of the problems we find that come to us in family life is because we want our way and do not see the need of the other. Like someone who comes into the house and says “I want to eat now!” They do not ask how they might help prepare the food. Carry the food into the table, set the table, get the drinks that will be needed, offer to help clean up the table, wash and dry the dished or take out the garbage. All they want is to eat now. Kindness is a cause that makes others feel better about themselves. I suggest that you take time to listen and look at the people around you and show kindness. David in the O. T. displayed this for a friend he was close to. His friend had been killed and David had become king. He asked if his friend had any relatives that he might help. He found a son of his friend named Mephiboseth who was a cripple from a fall he had taken when a young boy. He lived in place called Lo Debar which was a town deep in Gileadite territory in Transjordan, far from the family estate and from David’s court. This was a place of no hope. When called to come before the king he said, "What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?" He thought he would be put to death because he was the offspring of the king that David took the place of and so feared for his life. "Don’t be afraid," David said to him, "for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul and you will always eat at my table." David was looking for a way to be kind. He was tender hearted to a man who was without hope. Without Christ people are without hope. Kindness will give them hope.
2. The second thing is be a booster or encourage others. We develop this as we say words to others that make them feel better about themselves. We need to speak kind words. PR 15:4 “Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” You can destroy the spirit of another person by the words you use. Did you know the Bible says that death and life are in the tongue? 18:21 “The tongue has the power of life and death.’ You change people by what you say. I think we all know that even the tone of the voice can make a difference in how a person will respond to us. PR 10:32 “The godly speak words that are helpful, but the wicked speak only what is corrupt.” Your words can tear some one down or build them up. It is your choice as to what you say and how you say it. Let me suggest that before you speak stop and think about what you are going to say and how would you react if you were spoken to in that way. You have the power to encourage or discourage that person you are going to speak with. I would challenge you to take a box and put $5 worth of quarters in it and during the week when ever you say something that is unkind take a quarter out of the box. How much would you have left? If you decided to give it to the church next Sunday would you be able to give very much? Next week you could put up $10 and if you keep increasing each week you could bring a big offering to church if no unkind words were said. A good example of being kind is Joseph in the O. T. His brothers tired to kill him, sold him as a slave and forgot all about him. Many years later he was acting as a ruler in Egypt and the brothers had to go see him to get food. He could have done many things to them but he said, “God has sent me ahead of you so that our family would be saved.” How different our world would be if everyone thought as Joseph that “I have been sent ahead to make things better for you.”
3. A third way of kindness is to show compassion and being concerned. This speaks of being there for a person when going through rough times. You are there with a shoulder to lean upon or a hand to hold. The Bible says the dad is supposed to be the spiritual leader of the house. So men how would you rate today if we were to speak to your wife or children? Have you offered to clean the house, do the dishes, make the bed or cook a meal? Have you taken time to read a book to the children or play a game with them? Are you the one that leads family devotions? Do others look to you when they want someone to pray with them or have spiritual question? Do you get excited when good things happen to your wife or children? Now if you are not a husband or dad here is what the Bible says we should do in showing compassion. RM 12:9-18 “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be arrogant. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Jesus wept with sisters who had lost their brother. Jesus came upon a funeral and stopped it by bringing the dead boy back to life. To be like Christ you must be kind and show you care.
4. Kindness means straightforward or deal directly when it is needed. This is what is called tough love. Ps 141:5 Let a righteous man strike me, it is a kindness; let him rebuke me, it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it. PR 27:6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted. How would you react if after a DR. has examined you he said, “Just relax we all have to die some
time.” Would you not rather he say we can operate and fix this problem? It is not fun to have your body cut open but if it can get rid of the poison that needs to be taken out and provide healing I think most of us would have it done. Kindness includes being told the truth even though it hurts. Marriages last because the couples tell each other the truth. Families stay together because they work of solving their problems not avoiding them. Paul had to confront Peter about being different depending on who he was with. Nathan confronted David and it could have cost him his life. Both these men became better because they listened and changed because they heard the truth. Are you committed to making another person better with kindness of confronting them? Are you willing to sit down beside some one and say with love, “I know you are messing up your life and I want to help you?”
5. To be kind means to be intentional in your kindness. GAL 6:10 “Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters.” We recall the story of the Good Samaritan as an example that our kindness ahs to be intentional. Compassion Is Based On the Need Not Worth. The man had been beaten up and left to die. Compassion Feels Something. The Samaritan heard his heart tell him he needed to help this man. Compassion Does Something. He went to where the man was and took what he had to help him. Compassion Cost Something. The cost was big for he went to a stranger. He did not know if the bandits were still around. He used his first aid kit to bind up his wounds. He no doubt got dirty. He took time to get him more help and paid for it. Compassion Demonstrates Our Relationship to God.
Jesus came to where we were because we needed Him not because we were worth it. Jesus came to dwell with men that He might die for men. It cost Jesus His life that we might be set free from our sin.
What will you do this week to show Kindness without reservation?
