When I was doing my student teaching back in 1996, I worked with a sixth-grade science teacher. It was the end of the year when the students had taken their standardized tests but the school is not out. So the teacher had different themes to study with different grades. In the sixth-grade, we studied the properties of water.
You know that you can fill a glass of water to the edge and then you can continue adding drops of water. To a sixth-grader especially who has never done that before, it can be astounding. You have to count the drops of water; we used an eyedropper. It seems like you can put 100 drops in the glass before you break the surface tension. In fact, if you are looking at the glass from a side-view, you will see that the water actually creates a dome. And you add one more drop, then two, then three, four, five – eventually the surface tension breaks and the water overflows the glass.
The same thing is true when we perform acts of kindness. We can and should continue to be kind and show more kindness and then more kindness and eventually, our kindness will break the tension of the evil in someone’s heart and they change.
This time of year is when I do a lesson on one of the Fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22. If we “walk by the Spirit” (5:16) and are “led by the Spirit” (5:18) and if we “live by the Spirit” (5:25), then we will produce the “fruit of the Spirit,” which includes “kindness.”
First, what does it mean to be “kind?” It is defined as being “friendly, generous, or considerate.”
“KINDNESS” IN ROMANS:
First, we see in 2:4 that God is rich in His kindness and Paul says that this kindness should have led Israel to repent of their sins. The second word for “kind” in this text is a related, but different word, which is used 7 times; we’ll come back to that.
Then in Romans 11:22, Paul speaks of the kindness of God versus His severity. Both Jews and Gentiles can receive the kindness of God if we “continue in His kindness,” that is Paul’s way of saying, “Walk in the light…”
God is essentially and inherently “kind.” Children are kind also but then they develop selfish tendencies if they are not taught to share. Adults might also have to be retaught to share because somehow or another, we think that if we share – if we are kind – to others, someone we will use up God’s treasure of riches and He won’t have anything left to give to us.
WE MUST PRACTICE THAT KINDNESS TOWARD A WORLD THAT IS HURTING:
Part of the reason why God is generous with us is so that we will be generous with others. Paul writes about the in 1 Timothy 6:17-19. Remember “generous” is a synonym for “kindness.”
So God calls on us to be kind to others. We have already seen that “kindness” is a fruit of the Spirit. Please notice Colossians 3:12.
We go back to Luke 6 where we saw that God’s kindness is a pattern for us. Let’s read Luke 6:31-36. Be kind. Without expecting kindness in return!
In 1 Corinthians 15:33, Paul will write that “bad company corrupts good morals.” The word there is “kind:” “Bad company corrupts kind morals.” The people we spend time with are the people who influence our behavior. So we should be careful who we send time with!
Then we have Ephesians 4:32 where Paul associates kindness with being “tender-hearted” (“compassionate”) and being graceful to each other just as God in Christ was graceful to us. Please notice again that if we are going to be “kind,” then it means being “graceful” toward those who do not deserve that kindness!
HOW CAN WE BE MORE KIND?
Relax. Remember that everyone is made in the image of God (James 3:9). Laugh. Smile. Be thankful. Be aware of your influence on others around you. Listen (James 1:19). Be present in people’s lives. Be kind to yourself. Don’t brag (Matt. 6). Don’t be afraid to say “no.” Don’t discriminate. Consider what others need. Compliment profusely.
It’s always a good day to flex your kindness muscle and make someone smile.
Paul Holland
