Photo Credit: Bailey Anne
(Part 1 of the Godly Character series.)
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”-Colossians 3:12-13
Kindness. What comes to mind when you think of this word? I don’t know why but I think of someone sticking up for someone who has been belittled. I think that’s one of the most kind things a person could do.
I saw an act of kindness a few days ago. I was driving and talking on the phone (headphones in of course). As I was talking to my Dad, I saw an elderly man who was stuck in the bushes in his front lawn. I freaked out because it made me so sad but my heart flipped when I saw a young man park his car suddenly and run up to help him.
You know who was the King of Kindness? Jesus.
The biggest act of kindness that Christ showed was laying His life down for you and I.
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brother. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”-1 John3:16-18
What a ridiculously amazing verse! I could read this over and over. Friends, His death showed His love. HE DIED FOR US. Don’t you see how kind He is. We are full of ugly sin, yet he was/is loving and full of kindness. He wanted to take all the dirt away. Now that we have seen an example of love and kindness, John wanted us to actually learn from it and go out and show love and kindness. He tells them to “stop telling people you love them but actually show them!”
Example 2 of kindness (Luke 10:25-37):
An expert in the law asks Jesus how he can receive eternal life. Jesus tells him “Well what does it say in the Law?” The man says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” Jesus says “You’re correct! Do this and you’ll live.” But the expert asks “Well, who is my neighbor?” So Jesus decides to share a parable. He talks about a man going down to Jericho when he ran into some robbers. They stripped his clothes, beat him, and left him half dead. A priest walked by but he passed by the man. A Levite saw the man but passed by. But a Samaritan came up to the man and took pity on him. He bandaged his wounds and put the man on his own donkey. They traveled to an inn and the Samaritan took care of the man. Jesus asks the expert who he thought was a neighbor to the man. The expert said that the man who had mercy on the man was the one. Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
This parable reminds me of the story I shared with you. Who knows how many people drove by and thought “Oh, someone will help him the old guy.” But yet one man decided to get off the road and help the man. That’s kindness. The word tells us that we need “go and do likewise” just like the Samaritan. It tells us that we need to show our love but our “actions and in truth.” As Christians, we have a lot to do on this earth. We need to be the kind, loving people out in this world of rude, mean, jealous folk.
How are you being kind? Are you going out and being like the Samaritan? How are you “laying your life down”? I pray that you ask God to give you situations in your life that you can be kind to them. Maybe kindness is something you lack. Pray for God to help remold your heart.
“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High,because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.”-Luke 6:35
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”-Ephesians 4:32
I’d love to chat more about this series with you & any other things on your mind. Find me on Twitter @sarahhhvictoria .
--by their fruit-- 