“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
—Galatians 5:22-23
Kindness can be defined as an ongoing desire to recognize and meet the needs of others. Kindness is a sweetness of inner disposition created in the heart of the believer by the Holy Spirit that causes one to be sensitive to the needs of other people, whether the needs are physical or spiritual. A kind person is one who is keenly aware of others around them and strives to express generosity and thoughtfulness to them despite the ingratitude they may receive. A kind person is one who does nothing “through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind esteems others better than himself.” The kind person “looks out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:3-4).
Kindness may be as simple as a smile to a store clerk, a thank you to a waitress, a loving gesture to an elderly person, a hello to a stranger, or an encouraging word to a young child. The monetary cost of kindness is minimal. However, kindness does cost something; it costs dying to self, and for many this is much too high a price to pay. I guess that is why we see so little kindness in our sin-cursed world. So many people are so self-centered and selfish that they have neither the desire nor the time to recognize others around them. However, the kind person is one who actively seeks out others and strives to deny self by taking a special interest in the life of another. Is it any wonder why the believer is admonished by the Apostle Paul in Colossians 3:12-13 to “put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”
Think about your responsibility as a believer to demonstrate kindness in your daily life as you interact with others in this world. To encourage you in this responsibility, meditate on the following words, “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7).
May our Lord bless your walk of kindness for His honor, glory, and praise, and for the good of those that our glorious Lord brings into your sphere of life.
Tuesday Encouragement: January 5, 2021
In Christ,
Pastor S. Henry