But the fruit of the Spirit is … kindness …
Summary: The fruit called “kindness” adds a unique sweetness to life, as illustrated by Charles Dickens’s story about a man named Scrooge.
Today’s word is “kindness.” The dictionary* defines the word as “the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.” The opposite of kindness, then, is being unfriendly, stingy, and inconsiderate.
Hmmm…
Who does that remind us of? Mr. Scrooge?
Charles Dickens’s character is a good illustration of the word “kindness,” because he shows us both sides of the coin. The story paints a portrait of a person whose business success has been built on the backs of poor people he has taken advantage of. His employee, Bob Cratchit, is a beat-down man trying to provide for his family. Scrooge seems to enjoy making Bob’s life as miserable as possible.
By the end of the story, Scrooge is a changed man. Having been visited by ghosts and shown the horrible end that comes to people lacking both kindness and Christmas, he vows to change his ways. In the closing pages of the book, Scrooge is a shining example of what kindness means.
So, what is “kindness,” exactly?
Kindness is a combination of several qualities. According to Strong’s Concordance (Strong’s G5544), the first quality is being morally useful. I find this definition intriguing. It makes me realize that a person can be what we would call “moral,” but if they don’t apply their morality in what they do, being moral doesn’t matter. Morality has to be “useful” to count for anything.
Strong’s Concordance adds that the kindness Paul was talking about includes being gentle. The word “gentleness” suggests a lack of roughness or cruelty. Here again, Mr. Scrooge is a good illustration of the difference. The unkind Mr. Scrooge never had a good word for anyone except his former partner, Marley. After his transformation, he found that he had a kind word for everyone he met.
Why does God’s Spirit cause us to be kind to others?
Because, that is how God treats us.
Even though we are a rebellious people (Romans 3:10), God still loves us (Romans 5:8). Throughout history, God has been kind to his creation, causing “his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45).
When the Spirit prompts us to be kind to someone we find offensive, he is really prompting us to simply be more like God.
Application: Consciously practice kindness.
Food for Thought: How do we know if we are being morally useful?
*Online dictionary, no citation information available.
How do we know if we are being morally useful?
Be like Scrooge…. Have the fruit of the Spirit….. They write a Christmas story about you…. By being useful….
😁
If we are like Scrooge at the end of the story, then we have learned the “moral” of the story!
🙂
Thanks TAN!
How do we know if we are being morally useful?
When I read this question, the thought that keeps coming to my mind is being an “agent of righteousness.” As you wrote in the devotion, claiming or identifying as moral is useless without acting upon those morals. An agent is given the ability, the authority, and the responsibility to act on behalf of the one they serve. To be truly kind, as God is kind, the Lord, through the Holy Spirit, changes our heart, through our faith and devotion in service to Him. He gives us the ability to be kind because He changes our perceptions and mind, redeems our past, and set guides us on a future path of love. He gives us the authority because we identify in Him, and for those that choose to seek and do His Will, we are guaranteed that it will turn out for good. We then have the responsibility to live up to the grace that we have been given. We know then that we are morally useful because the inner relationship with our Lord grows stronger, the outer relationships with others grows stronger, and the body of Christ is strengthened.
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
1 Peter 1:13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
John 14:12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
Philippians 3:16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
Thank you, Chris!
I liked how you describe the Lord’s work in us:
“He changes our perceptions and mind, redeems our past, and set guides us on a future path of love.”
Well said!
How do we know if we are being morally useful?
I am with CH.
C S Lewis wrote, “A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line.” I cannot name a land where lying is praised and honesty is looked down upon? Lives led in quiet obedience to God speak volumes to the world around us, and the most often asked question during my life has been, “ Why are you different? ” We need to be that straight line as our Lord separates each from our desires of this flesh and we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, Matthew 6:33.
God inspired John to write John 16:7-15 regarding our being convicted of right and wrong by the Holy Spirit. Our job is to focus on our lives in Christ, always alert to events around us. We will find God has prepared work for us as we grow and will make His will for our lives obvious. We simply must become willing to be the servant He has planned for us.
Thank you, Ron!
That CS Lewis quote is helpful.
God is the straight string. Our lives without God are … mmm… not so straight.
With God’s help we can “straighten out” our lives!! 🙂