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The World’s Gone Crazy
We’ve gone crazy. America is unraveling faster with each passing day, and I pray the Lord’s mercy would allow His grace to be shed over our land all the while knowing we do not deserve to receive His goodness any longer for the sin of our nation is great.
I’ve Gone Crazy
This weekend, I found myself going a bit crazy. I chose to have an unkind concert with myself to the audience of just my husband, except it wasn’t just him–the Lord was there, too. I dare say, He wasn’t so pleased with how I handled my words and emotions. Oh, what I had to say and how I feel about the circumstances that are my reality anyone would reconcile as reasonable and maybe even be amazed at “how well” I’ve handled such things. However, the Holy Spirit is the one who has assured me that I was not kind.
It’s Hard to be Kind
It’s hard to be kind sometimes when the hurt builds to constant and/or ordinary. It’s hard to be kind when our voice is left echoing and without being heard. It’s hard to be kind when the same challenge resurfaces on repeat, but without effort of change. Sometimes, it’s just hard to be kind even when we don’t intend or try to be Unkind. Do you hear what I’m saying?
Kindness shows
Leaving the big picture of the world’s craziness aside and coming in closer to my own life, if you’re anything like me, you don’t have to look any further than your own flesh and blood to find unkindess. I mean, I *try* to be kind, happy and loving. I DO love am happy with so much, God’s goodness in my life is something I intentionally look to and acknowledge daily, and people even tell me how kind-even too kind-I am, often times. Yet, when I’m pressed with any of the aforementioned “hard to be kind” moments, I fail more than not.
My family knows it best
Mostly it’s my family who takes the hit of my unkindness, usually my husband but sometimes even ones of my own children. My family knows it best. That’s a real shame. If I can’t be kind to the ones I love most, what then? Does God expect me to be kind all the time? Of course He does, because He is kind.
God is kind
Psalm 86:5 For you, Lord, are kind and ready to forgive, abounding in faithful love to all who call on you.
Kindness matters
I am a child of God. Kindness isn’t something that I have in a plethora of characteristics to pick and choose from, but rather it’s the root of who God is in me when I am living and walking with the Lord instead of in my own flesh. Kindness matters to God.
Psalm 117:12 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.
Jonah 4:2 …Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.
Isaiah 54:8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.
Kindess is a verb
Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
2 Peter 1:7 And (add) to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
Colossians 3:12-13 Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
Flesh or Spirit
It’s true, God desires us to be kind and He instructs us to be kind, but we don’t do this on our own. When I react to or live in situations in my own flesh, that is to say without God’s Spirit and leaning into Him, I live for self and not for God. We know that flesh battles with spirit…my choice to yield to God or myself. BE kind. ADD kindness. PUT ON kindness, Tamara.
Kindness changes everything
How much does kindness matter? The most. Look at what we know of God’s kindness and the difference it made (and makes) in our lives.
Titus 3:3-5 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us —not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy — through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
Does Kindness have a parnter?
Look back up at a few of these verse where we learn about kindness. Do you see a recurring theme?
Eph 4:32 be ye kind, forgiving one another.
Col 3:12-13, put on kindness…forgiving one another as Christ has forgiven you.
Psalm 86:5 The Lord is kind and ready to forgive.
Yield to God’s Wisdom
I have to pause here and yield to God’s wisdom. Kindness and forgiveness are walking in tandem here in scripture. Why? Is it possible that it’s impractical, and maybe even impossible, to have a heart of genuine kindness if it’s clouded by unforgiveness? When I look at the times I’ve been unkind, is there a deeper issue that I haven’t looked at in my heart? Am I angry about something and has that some how taken root in the form of bitterness and unforgiveness? According to God’s Word the answer is pretty obvious and there’s a really good chance that I have some heart-searching to do if I truly desire to show God’s kindness in my life.
Courtesy Kindness vs Heart Kindness
Pleasantries of life among strangers can be a simple as what I call courtesy kindness: kind greetings, holding a door, please and thank you and the like. But, heart kindness shows up as an overflow of God in and through us to the most intimate relationships we have.
For God’s Glory
Another evidence of God’s kindness is the fact right here: He desires to teach us to be more like Him, He is kind and forgives us that we may forgive others and show His kindness to them, for His glory and our best. What a great God!
Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit isgood; lead me into the land of uprightness.
