Kindness

Kindness is one of the most beautiful attributes and can be portrayed by something as simple as a smile or the way you look at someone. It speaks love and acceptance to the person on the receiving end and makes them feel noticed and valued. In Galatians 5:22 and 23 we also read that it is part of the fruit of the Spirit that the Lord makes available to us when we receive Him as our Lord and Saviour.

We read about God, ‘You are fair and righteous in everything You do, and Your love is wrapped into all Your works’ (Psalm 145:17, TPT), and we read in Ephesians 5:1-2 that we should be imitators of God, ‘Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]; and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance’ (AMP).

How do you speak to people and about people? If your heart is filled with pride, anger, guilt, jealousy, inferiority or an attitude that does not glorify the Lord, you will battle to show kindness to others, especially the people you think don’t really matter in your life or that you feel intimidated by. Luke 6:45 summarises this: ‘The [intrinsically] good man produces what is good and honourable and moral out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart; and the [intrinsically] evil man produces what is wicked and depraved out of the evil [in his heart]; for his mouth speaks from the overflow of his heart’ (AMP).

If we are to become imitators of God, we firstly need to know who we are in Him, as His righteous children. We need to bring all our insecurities and fears to Him and ask for His wholeness in our lives. When we are focussing more on ourselves than on the other person, we are often easily offended, over-sensitive and self-defensive.

Kindness thus also stems from a place of realising that the Lord values each and every person and He doesn’t base this on anything to do with that person. He bases it on the fact that Jesus died for humankind and we are righteous and valuable to God because of that. If we focus on Jesus, we look away from ourselves and towards others. Then the Lord can begin to show us the needs and hurts in the lives of others. Every act of kindness can draw people closer to the Lord and bring healing into their lives.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I long to be an imitator of You in all I am. Make me aware of the way I am speaking to and about others; also what I do for and to them. If I’m not honouring You, please forgive me and show me what is in my heart that needs healing. Remind me that my worth and their worth, is in You and that I need to value people as You do. May what my mouth speaks, come from the overflow of my heart that is secure in You. Amen.