Galatians 5:22 says that one component of the
”
fruit of the Spirit
”
is kindness. How important is kindness? One time a guy asked
Jesus,
”
What’s the most important teaching of the Bible?
”
Jesus told the man that the whole Bible could be summarized in
two commandments:
”
The most important one is this… ‘Love the Lord your God with
all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and
with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as
yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.
”
(Mark 12:29-31)
Galatians 5:22 says that one component of the “fruit of the Spirit” is kindness. How important is kindness? One time a guy asked Jesus, “What’s the most important teaching of the Bible?” Jesus told the man that the whole Bible could be summarized in two commandments: “The most important one is this… ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31)
What’s Jesus saying here? That nothing matters more than relationships: your relationship to God first, and then to the people around you. Later Jesus instructed His disciples: “Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples – when they see the love you have for each other.” (John 13:34-35)
Where does kindness come in? The Bible’s working definition of kindness is “love in action.” Kindness is not something you feel; it’s something you do.
It’s showing love. God felt so strongly about the importance of kindness that He sent us an example. Titus 3:4 says that Jesus is “the kindness of God.” Then Jesus told his followers, “I have set an example for you… do as I have done for you.” (John 13:15) The best way to learn how to be kind is to look at how Jesus is kind to us.
One way we see His kindness is in His willingness to tell us the truth. And here’s one of the most important truths of the Bible: God loves you just the way you are… but He loves you too much to let you stay that way! So He tells you the truth. Why? Because “the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
Because Jesus is kind, He will level with you. He will tell you the truth about your motives, your relationships, your sins, and every other aspect of your life. He will tell you the truth whether it’s politically correct or not. And He wants you to do the same! There are things our culture condones (and sometimes even endorses) that are not OK with God, and I need to be courageous enough to take my stand with Him regardless of peer pressure. I have learned that sometimes the most loving thing I can do is tell someone the truth, even if they don’t want to hear it.
But I have also learned that more important than what I say is how I say it. If I don’t speak the truth in love, I’m wasting my time. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13, even if you have the truth and speak it with great eloquence, yet have not love, you accomplish nothing. Far too many people are willing to express the truth, but they use it like a club. Consider God’s instruction in Ephesians 4:15, “Let our lives lovingly express the truth in all things…” The key word in that verse is “lovingly.”
But having said that, it is important that we speak the truth, even if it’s painful. You are not doing someone a favor by pretending there’s no problem. “An honest answer is the sign of a true friendship” (Proverbs 24:26). A recent survey on friendship determined that the number one quality people wanted in a friend was honesty. A real friend will not stand by in silence and watch you make a stupid mistake.
Psalm 141:5 says”A good man will rebuke me in kindness.” What does it mean to “rebuke in kindness”? What makes the difference between critical rebuke and kind rebuke? The difference is motive. When you confront someone, are you doing it to put them down or to build them up? Are you doing it for their benefit or to justify your own anger toward them? These are important questions to answer before you ever open your mouth to “tell someone the truth.”
If you are making a resolution to improve your relationships in the New Year, the best place to start is by being kind. Putting God’s love into action will bless both you and everyone around you.
Henry Harris is Senior Pastor of Rolling Hills Community Church, 330 Tres Pinos Rd, Hollister. If you have questions or comments, please visit the church’s Web site at rollinghillsfamily.com, e-mail [email protected] or phone 831-636-5353.
