“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22–23
The Fruit of the Spirit Is… Kindness
“When I was young, I used to admire intelligent people; as I grow older, I admire kind people.” – Abraham Joshua Heschel
I think most of us tend to take this route in life.
It’s easy when we’re younger to be mesmerized by the charismatic, the smart, the gifted, those with status, etc.
But, as we get older, and we begin seeing the fleeting reality of all I listed above, our values and role models begin to shift.
And the more we value simple, godly characteristics such as kindness.
The Embodiment of Kindness
It can sound strange that kindness is listed as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
It sounds so lowly and insignificant.
But check out the definition:
“The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.”
That sounds a lot like Jesus, doesn’t it?
Jesus was friendly and approachable even by children
Jesus was generous with His words, possessions and actions
And Jesus was considerate and allowed the needs of others to be put above His own.
This really is the trifecta that embodies kindness.
Missing just one of these characteristics leads to a stool with less than its indented 3 legs to stand on.
Seeking Kindness In Everyday Life
“Cleanliness is close to godliness.”
Not really, but what we’ve seen is that being kind is close to godliness.
To grow in friendliness
To be more generous
And to be more considerate and think of others as more important than ourselves.
This is close to godliness.
This is the life and fruit that God desires us to have.
So, take the extra time to show some unexpected kindness.
Consider where you can be more generous in your money, talents and time.
And seek to put other’s before yourself.
And do so by His grace and strength.
As we’re reminded in Philippians 2:1–11:
Jesus lived kindness.
He lived love.
He lived perfection.
And now, He has paid the price for our sin,
And gives us the power, by His Spirit,
To have Him transform us to be more like Him.
And one day, we will be with Him forever.
So as we look forward to heaven,
Let’s ask Jesus to instill His kindness into our hearts,
And let us be kind to others the way Jesus is.
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,” – Colossians 3:12
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:32
“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.” – 1 Peter 3:8–9
“A gracious woman gets honor, and violent men get riches. A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.” – Proverbs 11:16–17
“Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor.” – Proverbs 21:21
““Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another.” – Zechariah 7:9