(This Dual Can Heal Your Heart and Your World)
KINDNESS – the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. “he thanked them for their kindness and support”.
This fifth fruit of the Spirit is kindness. Kindness is selfless, compassionate, and merciful; its greatest power revealed in practice to our enemies and amongst the least of these. We are called to love your neighbor; and to show kindness to EVERYONE. It’s the ultimate expression of your love for God. It’s how we tell Him that we are choosing Him in as much as He chose us. … Indeed, kindness not only makes others happy, but it also uplifts our spirit too.
True kindness is taught to us in Ephesians 4:31-32, “31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Truly kind people will actively look for opportunities to show kindness. This means that kindness involves action.
For a perfect symbol of Biblical kindness, we need look no further than Jesus.
In Mark 1:40-42 – Jesus took pity on a leper and healed him of his disease. He didn’t see the man as a leper but a human being who was sick and needed his help. Through this, Jesus taught us that kindness should go beyond social stereotypes. We should look at where the person is coming from and understand their circumstances. Only then can we develop genuine compassion.
GENTLENESS: Is the 8th Fruit of the Spirit. It is the quality of being kind, tender, or mild-mannered. Gentleness in the bible means showing care and respect for others in the way that you act and speak. It also means giving up the right to judge what is best for ourselves and others. God is not as concerned with our comfort as He is concerned with our spiritual growth, and He knows how to grow us far better than we do. Gentleness means that we accept that the rain falls on the just and the unjust and that God may use methods we don’t like to reach our hearts and the hearts of others.
I remember as a young believer I visited a church for the first time and the first person I encountered was an usher, who wasn’t very gentle. My first instinct was to turn and leave, but something prompted me to stay. I was seated next to a lady who was kind and very helpful, this changed my total experience and I eventually joined the church. If my first impression had been all that I took away from that worship experience, I may never have gone back. But because of the gentle spirit of the person, I sat next to, I had a change of heart.
When we are filled with the Spirit’s fruit of gentleness, we will correct others with easiness instead of resentment and anger, knowing that their salvation is far more important than our pride. This is so important, especially as a Christian, the way we treat someone could affect the way they see God.
John the Baptist the fiery preacher, showed true gentleness when he said, “He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30)
How can you show kindness and gentleness to those you meet? Remember doing so shows the heart of God to those who need truly need it. This holiday season we will encounter a lot of people, with lots of different personalities and circumstances, let’s be intentional about showing both fruit to anyone we encounter. I promise you it will change their lives or at least your heart.
“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ ~~ Matthew 25:40 (NLT)
