Galatians 5:22 says one component of the
”
fruit of the Spirit
”
is kindness. A good working definition of kindness is
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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 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).
Galatians 5:22 says one component of the “fruit of the Spirit” is kindness. A good 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 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. Last week we considered how God shows His kindness toward us in His willingness to tell us the truth. Another way in which He manifests His kindness toward us is by His willingness to forgive our sins.
Perhaps you are reading this article and saying to yourself, “I don’t believe in God, and I certainly don’t have any sins that need forgiving.”
Let me ask you, does your belief change reality? I mean, if I were to say, “I don’t believe in George W. Bush,” would that make him nonexistent? Isn’t reality something that’s independent of what I choose to believe?
When people tell me they don’t believe in God, I say, “tell me what kind of God you don’t believe in… I might not believe in him either!”
I say that because so many of us carry around false notions of who God is and what He is like. For some of us, our image of God is of a grumpy, grudge-carrying old geezer. For others, God is like a big, cosmic cop just waiting for people to get out of line so he can bop them. For others, God is a humorless, black-robed judge waiting for the day when you will stand before him for sentencing.
But let me ask you, have you ever considered the possibility that some of the things you believe about God are not true? That some of the images you’ve carried around since you were a kid aren’t accurate? The Bible describes God in a much different light than many of us do. The Bible says that “God is love” (1 John 4:8,16), that “All of us have sinned, yet now God declares us ‘not guilty’ of offending Him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in His kindness freely takes away our sins” (Romans 3:23-24). The Bible depicts a God who is loving and kind, a God who is willing to forgive all our sins.
A third way God manifests His kindness toward us is in the way He affirms our worth. One thing all people have in common is a desire to feel like we have value (this is behind much of what makes us want to please other people). There are two ways you can know that you matter to God. First, by knowing that He is always thinking about you. As the psalmist said, “You saw me before I was born… How precious it is, Lord, to realize that You are thinking about me constantly!” (Psalm 139:16-17). Why is the Creator of the universe always thinking about you? Because you matter to Him!
A second way you can know you matter to God is that He sent His Son to die for you! Romans 5:8 tells us, “God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us…” We need to understand that God has settled the issue about how much we matter to Him.
Want to read one of most moving verses in the Bible? It’s Isaiah 49:16, where the Lord says, “See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands.” Let me ask you, what’s on the palms of the Lord’s hands? The scars left from those nails are a tangible demonstration of how much God loves us and how much we matter to Him. “God brought us back to Himself through what Christ Jesus did…” (2 Corinthians 5:18). God, at the core of His being, is love and kindness. A pretty far cry from most people’s perception of God, isn’t it?
