To conclude the month of August, my "Fruit Of The Spirit" series takes a look at the fruit of "Kindness." Goodness knows we need more of this trait in our lives! I pray these verses and meditation can bless you today. Love Lucy x
Galatians 5:22-25
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
Fruit Of Focus- KindnessGalatians 5:22-25
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
"Gracious Father, Gentle Saviour, Lord You have been good to me.
Jesus, You have saved my soul and called me to a life that’s free!
Help me Lord, to serve Your people. Keep my heart in check, I pray.
Since I now live by the Spirit, may I walk in step each day.
Let my words be filled with kindness, let my actions show this trait.
Help me give this gift to others in a world so full of hate.
May I offer kind assistance, with a heart to understand.
Help me notice needs around me, with a mind to lend a hand.
Oh how kindness ripples outward! Oh the impact it can bring!
Benefitting all involved and glorifying Christ the King!
Let me seek to be a blessing, doing all for Jesus’ sake.
May I never undermine the difference being kind can make."
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”
Colossians 3:12
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
Food For Thought
Kindness is something our harsh, broken and fallen world is longing for and as Christians, God calls us to be the light of the world. He asks us to extend our kindness to both our loved ones and our enemies, just as Jesus demonstrated throughout His ministry.
Kindness requires us to take our focus away from ourselves and instead, open our eyes to the needs of those around us. Kindness can be manifested in a countless number of ways and each day offers up a new opportunity for us to extend God’s kindness to the world.
From simple and small things such as holding a door open for someone and giving them priority of way, helping a stranger who’s struggling with a suitcase, asking a shop assistant what their name is and how their day is going to much bigger things like helping a friend move house, watching a person’s children as they go to an appointment, cooking or cleaning for a friend who’s ill or lending a listening ear and godly counsel through a difficult season in a person’s life. These are just a few examples of how we can show kindness and the possibilities are truly endless.
As I mentioned before, Jesus also asks us to be kind to our enemies, not just our loved ones. Christ tells us in Matthew 5 to love our enemies and as 1 Corinthians 13 highlighted at the end of the poem, love is kind.
It can be a difficult and challenging thing to show kindness to those who don’t show kindness to us but this is why it can be such a powerful and transforming thing in the lives of those on the receiving end. It defies human nature and speaks of the God whose power knows no boundaries. The God who came to earth to die for the undeserving (Romans 5:6) and extend His kindness to us first. We only love God because He first loved us so what a wonderful, life-changing witness this can be in the lives of others too. (1 John 4:19) While showing kindness to all people may seem like a tall order, we know that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. With man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible!
Questions For Personal Reflection
Is kindness something I struggle to show to others or do I find it a joy to extend this form of love to those around me?
When I consider that kindness and compassion describe the character of God, does this help me see the importance of showing kindness to the people in my life? Is there a time when I can remember someone showing kindness to me in the form of a gentle word or selfless gesture? Have I thanked that person and told them the impact or impression their kindness made on me? Are my eyes open to seeing the opportunities God puts before me today to extend kindness to others?
