Countdown to pentecost - Day 5 of 9 - KINDNESS

I can’t quite put into words how hard it is to continue to walk each day faithfully. I find it so hard to maintain a life of righteousness, a life free from the taint of sin. Blogging quickly becomes onerous and hard to fit in…or at least that’s how it feels. Which is a timely reminder that it is not my strength that is important. Each day I need to place my life and its concerns in God’s hands, asking that I be clothed with power. In our consideration of the Spirit we must not simply examine Him academically, but come petitioning for his loving support.

As we reach the mid-point in our preparations for Pentecost – day 5 of 9 - we are faced with the fruit of kindness. Alternative translations use gentleness, but in the main there is a high level of agreement that kindness is what God looks to see in our lives. The Message, however, uses the phrase ‘compassion in your heart’, which aids us in our understanding of what precisely kindness is.

Compassion, gentleness, mercy…

In Acts kindness is referred to describe several events: the healing of a lame man, God’s provision of rain in season, the centurion Julius allowing Paul, a prisoner, to pop off to see his friends, and the welcome given by the Maltese to the shipwrecked, shown in the building of a fire to warm them after clinging to bits of ship on the Mediterranean.

And it is this last act of kindness that perhaps sums up the call placed on us – to serve others. The examples in Acts are all remarkably practical – health, food, friendship and warmth.

Paul writes, “be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32)

This is the requirement of kindness, to model the kindness God shows us in his provision: food, shelter, family, friends, forgiveness, the Spirit, His Word, and the promise of eternity in His presence. We should be kind, for God is kind. But sadly, I am almost daily overcome with a sense of how mean I can be. I withhold a smile, mutter and curse someone under my breath, speak insensitively to my wife, on it goes. God, however, knows our frailty, and so provides the spirit to strengthen us.

So in what ways should we be seeking to see the Spirit bring a fresh sense of kindness in our lives:

1. Kind words
I remember vividly the pneumonic, THINK, some years ago concerning the way we use our tongue; it is worth repeating. When we speak we should ensure what we say is filtered through a God-led quality assurance matrix – i.e. does what we’re saying match with the five point criteria:
True – are we lying in any way? If so, that is not Godly speech
Helpful – is what we’re saying serving others or is it likely to cause upset or confusion. Are we helping the other person, or by offering an explanation helping another?
Inspired – are we speaking God’s thoughts on the matter or our own, or worse repeating the lies of the enemy? Are we seeking to bring life?
Necessary – do we need say anything? It is worth remembering the old proverb that we have two ears and one mouth for good reason. Sometimes we offer the sacrifice of fools and speak too much
Kind – finally, is what we’re saying seasoned with love? Is it compassionate and merciful. For instance, when we have to communicate our anger or point out a flaw in another is it doe kindly or in a spirit of meanness?

2. Merciful forgiveness
When considering patience yesterday we are forced to admit we often lose our patience with others, we fail to bear with them.
Therefore, as we face the daily frustration of living with sinful humanity we should remember to show God’s kindness toward us, to those around us.
Are we harbouring any un-forgiveness or root of bitterness?
We are called to show God’s kindness in the way we forgive one another.

3. Simple acts
Finally, let us never seek to spiritualise our kindness.
We are kind in the things we do, as much as what is said. Indeed, God could have declared us forgiven, but instead he has shown us his kindness.
It may be helpful to start each day praying, “Lord, bring me someone today whom I can serve?” and we should always then be prepared regardless of our mood!
It might be holding a door for someone, saying Thank You, letting someone take a parking place in front of us, offering our lunch to someone else, preparing meals for the sick and infirm, visiting a lonely neighbour...there are many ways we can do this.

Above all we should be mindful that God’s kindness is shown on the cross – he is a lovingly kind Father who seeks to heal and forgive us. We cannot help ourselves we must rely on the kindness of another; therefore, we in turn must seek to serve those around us.

Who, oh Lord, could save themselves,
Their own soul could heal?
Our shame was deeper than the sea
Your grace is deeper still

Who, oh Lord, could save themselves,
Their own soul could heal?
Our shame was deeper than the sea
Your grace is deeper still