But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance Gal 5:22-23 KJV
The underlying Greek chrestotes (khray-stot’-ace) derives from moral excellence and means gentleness, goodness, and kindness
(Note: The ESV and other versions use the word kindness so that’s how we’ll talk about it here.)
When are the right times for kindness? If we follow the world’s pattern, it might be as a response to someone else’s gesture of kindness. If not that, then it’s probably a matter of convenient or when we want something.
How much value is there in that type of kindness? Jesus didn’t think much of it:
if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. – Luke 6:33
if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? – Matthew 5:47
If we are following Christ’s example, kindness came from who he was, not what the other persons deserved or they were. We need to develop ourselves so we are kind…
- every time we have an opportunity (James 4:17)
- everybody all the time (Galatians 6:9-10a)
- especially to our brothers and sisters in Christ (Galatians 6:10b)
- even when we have been hurt (Luke 6:35)
The kindness to be able to live like this comes from deep within us, it cannot be superficial! The more we train ourselves to think about kindness, the easier it will be to show kindness in all of these situations. Think about it – God created you in his image so that you were ready to do good works so he could use you in his vineyard (Ephesians 2:10)
Daily Bible reading for July 12
Ecclesiastes 7:1-14
Joshua 10
Jeremiah 5
Matthew 21:12-27
July 12, 2013
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