Kindness Pt. 1
Titus 3:4-8, Matthew 11:28-30. Psalm 145:8-9
To be kind is a noble virtue that even the world accepts. We were most likely raised to be kind to people or know that being kind to people is an important trait. However, the moment we become slighted, the reciprocation of kindness wears off, and we tell ourselves those people don’t deserve our kindness. We can often live functionally and practically saying, “I will be kind to you as long as you are kind to me.” However, there is nothing unique about that kindness because that's how the world does kindness and we are called not to be like the world (Matthew 5:46). Also that isn’t what God defines and displays as kindness. If the Lord calls us to kindness and it is a fruit of the Spirit, we must first examine how we have seen and experienced His kindness towards us before we look at how we can live into kindness ourselves.
When we look at the usage of the word kindness in Galatians 5 it can be understood as gentleness, goodness, kindness. John MacArthur says about this word, “This is kindness. It essentially is ‘goodness of heart’. It’s just that high level of noble virtue that seeks always to do good”. Kindness is displayed in seeking and desiring to always do good no matter how slighted or wronged a person feels. We see this foremost in God as He acts in nothing but from a heart of kindness to a world that is in a state of constant rebellion towards Him, “For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). God is slighted by this world daily yet his disposition towards this world is kindness as He gives breathe, moments, life to a rebellious world. Kindness is not because God has to do good and can only do good, but kindness is God's desire to do good and move toward us.
We see God’s kindness manifested most clearly in Jesus toward us. Titius 3:4 says, “ But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared.” God’s kindness appeared not just in acts but in the person of Jesus. We had no good works of our own and we were in rebellion before God but God in His loving kindness desired to move towards us and met our ultimate need in the forgiveness of our sins even though we did not warrant it. God sought to always do good towards us though we wronged Him. Jesus in Matthew describes Himself as gentle and invites a world in rebellion towards Him to come to Him and experience His gentleness and goodness. His goodness is scandalous and unwavering; this is what the kindness of our God is. In His kindness towards us we not just acknowledge, experience, and embrace it but it is also supposed to lead us to repentance, away from our old pattern and towards a new pattern of living in Him (Romans 2:4). God always acts in kindness towards us but there are places in your past and present where you experienced God’s kindness towards you? Is it difficult to believe that God not only does kind acts towards you but is kind in heart towards you?
