If you have ever had the privilege of raising children, you know that kindness is learnt behaviour and not necessarily a character trait you are born with - just watch two or more siblings fight over something both want and you will quickly see unkind behaviour! ‘Mine’ is a word thrown around by little humans, demanding, grabbing and holding onto things like dear life!
Our human nature is selfish: we are born selfish, but kindness is where we let go of the selfish, to tap into a part of God’s character and act unselfishly. In my journey with the Lord, I have had to learn kindness. It did not come naturally. I love this scripture in Proverbs 25:
Proverbs 25:11(NKJV):
A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold
In settings of silver.
A word fitly spoken is a kind word; kindness is worth a lot in a world where unkindness and gossip are the norm. If I watch the mudslinging going on around me, I pray that God will help me to find a kind word, a kind deed, so that, in a sense, I can operate in an ‘opposite spirit’ of what the world brings.
I know the Word says that we are pilgrims, sojourners, in 1 Peter 2:
1 Peter 2:11-12(NKJV):
Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Many of us have been on the receiving end of unkindness and even accusations of unkindness. The word is so clear and so encouraging - even if people say bad things about us, if we continue to act honourably, in the end they will acknowledge the good they observed.
One of my favourite scriptures is just a little further on, in 1 Peter 2:
1 Peter 2:23(NKJV):
…who, when He (Jesus) was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously…
Jesus was the kindest person that ever walked the earth - why do I say that? I am convinced He was because He was fully led by God and God’s Spirit. The Holy Spirit has a list of fruit in Gal 5:
Galatians 5:22-23(NKJV):
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Jesus walked in this fruit; the Word even says that Jesus had more joy than all His companions! (Heb 1:9) He walked in the fruit of the Spirit. He was our example, that if we tap into His Spirit, we can also have the fruit of His Spirit. Kindness is not something that comes ‘naturally’: kindness is something that comes as we cultivate our graftedness in the Lord. We are like vines grafted into the main branch - His sap flows through us and nourishes us and then we end up bearing the same fruit as Him. In a sense, it is virtually impossible to keep bearing sustainable God-fruit without being grafted into Him and nourished by Him. His sap, through the Holy Spirit, is what brings the good fruit. Our responsibility is to stay grafted, stay in His presence, nourish His peace, eat of His Word (the Bible), worship before Him and then – watch this space – see how the sour grapes of unkindness in your life becomes the sweet grapes of kindness.
Love
Liesl
Women of Reverence welcomes our contributor Liesl Mare. Read more about Liesl Mare