Kindness

Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

God has forgiven us so much, and shown far more kindness toward us than we could ever deserve. We need to learn to treat other people, even those who don't deserve it, with the same kindness that we've been shown. Obviously, we'll never come close to matching what Christ did for us. And we'll fail plenty of the time at showing kindness to others because we're imperfect and flawed and it's totally opposite our nature to treat others well when they've done us wrong. But yet that's what we're called to do, even though it may sound crazy or impossible. And by God's grace, we can be different from what people expect and be an example to non-believers of Who Jesus is. We'll never get it perfect. But un-believers will notice that we have something they don't if they see that we genuinely care and are striving to be kind.

Luke 6:35 "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil."

This verse definitely demonstrates this important fruit of the spirit. Even though showing love to people who have only ever hated us or treated us terribly may never seem to change them or make a difference, it's still something we need to do. We have to turn the other cheek rather than turning around and treating them the same way. And that takes a whole lot of love and kindness to repay evil with good. 1 Peter 3:9 also demonstrates this. It says, "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."


Proverbs 11:17 "A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself."

According to this verse, we're going to be miserable if we're cruel and uncaring toward others. We're going to end up hurting ourselves. But if we learn to show kindness and compassion toward other people, you'll find it's well worth it. Often a person that you invest in and help, will later turn around and help you when you need someone to be there for you.

Galatians 6:10 says, "So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."

We especially need to support fellow believers. We weren't meant to go through life alone. We are meant to help each other, care about each other, and love each other. We're the body of Christ, which makes us a huge spiritual family. And we need to stick together and help each other out, especially when one of us is hurting.

Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep."

God may want you to hurt along with someone else, to talk with them through their struggles, or just be there for them as a friend who cares. It takes a lot of love to care that much. To let you heart hurt for someone else. But that's what God asks us to do, and it's well worth it.

Proverbs 17:17 "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."

It's not just through the good times when we're to show kindness and be a friend. It's when a friend is down when they need us most. It really shows whether or not we care if we're willing to get involved in their lives and give of ourselves to help them through their tough times.

1 John 3:18 "Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth."

We can't just say that we care. Our actions will determine the truth. Most people can tell if you really care and are genuinely concerned and want to be there for them no matter what, or if you're just being a friend for what you can get out of the relationship or because you feel obligated to support them but don't really want to. Don't tell someone you care if you don't mean it. Loving a friend with Christ's love means that it doesn't matter what it takes, you'll always be there for them to help them through Christ's strength.

Galatians 6:2 "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

Again, we need to help each other. Show kindness by listening when someone is weighed down under a burden, no matter what it is. And if you can, help them through it. Bear it along with them so they won't get too weak and fall with no one around who cares enough to help. We not only need to help each other through difficult times, but also constantly build each other up. Encourage each other. And if a friend falls, pull them back up.

1 Peter 3:8 "Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind." And that verse really sums up what kindness is.


JPK

Patience

James 1:2-4 "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."

These verses are saying that trials and trouble in our lives give us an opportunity for growth. But that's only if we respond in the right way. It doesn't help us if we go through life with a bad attitude because we can't always have what we want when we want it. And it's not like everything hard we go through is necessarily God trying to help us get greater character. But we certainly can learn to grow in difficult times if we have the right perspective. And there will be times when it is God trying to teach us something. The point is, we can live more fulfilled lives when we learn how to be patient and content.

Romans 8:25 "if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."

You really can't have one without the other. Hope won't get fed up with patiently waiting, and patience won't stop believing that, in time, what you are hoping for will happen, or maybe something better that God has in store. It's not patience if we say that we'll wait for God to do something, but then get scared and doubt Him because it's not happening when we think it needs to. People often talk about God's timing, and how He has it under control, and will do what He needs to in His own perfect time. But, when it comes down to it, it's really easy to become frustrated and stop trusting because God doesn't seem to be working fast enough.

Romans 5:3-4 "We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope"

According to this passage, suffering can help us develop endurance, or patience, which will in turn strengthen our character, producing hope. The reason it talks about hope is because normally we hope for the seemingly impossible, or at least the highly unlikely. Without patience, you can't hope because you'll just give up, completely tired of waiting for what seems like will never happen.

Colossians 1:11, 12 "May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light."

A lot of these verses dealing with patience mention joy or rejoicing. There's definitely a connection between patience and joy. You can't really endure something with a good attitude if you're lacking God's joy. A joy that can keep you going even when your circumstances are weighing you down. It also talks about giving thanks to God. And that's not an easy thing to be thankful even while you're going through something difficult. But it is possible to find ways to be thankful despite your circumstances.

2 Timothy 4:2 "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching."

When we're sharing with others about God, we have to be careful to not push them to make a decision when they may not be ready. It can take a lot of patience to keep from getting frustrated when we see the truth that can set a person free, and yet they still are holding back. ...The verse also says to be ready. We should be prepared for any opportunity we have to talk with others about God. You never know when God will open a door for you to share Christ with someone, so even though you may have been praying for them a long time, you need to stay prepared. Because patience doesn't just sit back and do nothing. It waits as long as it needs to, and keeps hanging onto hope, refusing to give up when circumstances are still not improving. True patience won't ever give up.

Ephesians 4:1-3 "I... urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

Patience is closely tied with love. It takes love to be patient with other people. It's something that we really can't do through our own strength. But genuine patience can happen when you love others like Jesus does. You can then put up with a person's flaws because you've chosen to love them unconditionally.

1 Timothy 1:15, 16 "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life."

A lot of things in the Christian's walk come down to this. Jesus doing the impossible through us. It is His patience, and His alone that we truly need. And we can possess it if we'll let go of our will and start walking in Jesus' footsteps.


JPK