May 2, 2015 – “K” is for Kindness

Ephesians 4:32
Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Proverbs 11:17
A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.

Galatians 5:22
By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

“Kindness is listed as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22. According to the Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary, the Greek word translated kindness here is “the divine kindness out of which God acts toward humankind. It is what the [Old Testament] means when it declares that ‘God is good,’ as it so frequently does. Christians should show kindness by behaving toward others as God has behaved toward them.” Basically it means “doing thoughtful deeds to others.” Proverbs 20:28 describes qualities God wants in a leader: “Mercy and truth preserve the king, and by loving kindness he upholds his throne” (emphasis added throughout). Throughout the Bible, two other qualities are often associated with kindness: love and mercy. Peter wrote of adding love to “brotherly kindness” (2 Peter 1:7), while Paul wrote about putting on “tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering” (Colossians 3:13).

What is kindness? It is based on the mind-set described in Philippians 2:3-4: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Kindness is humbly giving of ourselves in love and mercy to others who may not be able to give anything back, who sometimes don’t deserve it, and who frequently don’t thank us for it. Basically kindness means a way of thinking that leads to doing thoughtful deeds for others.”

lifehopeandtruth.com

Kindness, it seems to me, is to become a way of life, not just an “act”. People talk about doing “acts of kindness”, but I believe Paul was talking about more – about a life that is defined by kindness, not just by individual acts of kindness. It is just one of the nine fruits of the spirit, but it is just as important as love, joy, peace, patience…etc. I guess kindness comes as an expression of the love and compassion that Jesus models for all of us. Find a way this week to do an act of kindness every day — and let that lead you into living a life of kindness.

Pastor Dave