Kindness & Goodness

Kindness and Goodness are spiritual opposites of the flesh.

Look back at v. 19-20 Strife, jealousy, anger, dissensions, factions, envying…and things like these.

(NASB95) is a good parallel.

12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;

Kindness is acting for the benefit of someone else. You are kind. It is not dependent on a thank you or a return gift of like benefit.

Kindness is just that - you are KIND.

Love is Patient, Love is Kind in

“Mamie Adams always went to a branch post office in her town because the postal employees there were friendly. She went there to buy stamps just before Christmas one year and the lines were particularly long. Someone pointed out that there was no need to wait in line because there was a stamp machine in the lobby. "I know," said Mamie, 'but the machine won't ask me about my arthritis."

sermonillustrations.com - Kindness - Bits and Pieces, December, 1989, p. 2.

Colossians 3:12 NASB95

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 5

5:23 Against such things there is no law When the life of the believer expresses these qualities, there is no need for the law. Those who “live by the Spirit” (v. 16) produce fruit reflecting the character of God that the law could not (3:21).

When we are producing the Character of God in ways like being Kind - we supersede the Law. We are being the Hands of Feet of Jesus where He’s planted us.

1. Kindness and Goodness release us from legalism.

Legalism focuses on self and pleasing a list or rules. When We are concentrating on others, we think of self less and less, instead thinking of Others, specifically the Lost and Needy are overwhelmed by God’s Ambassadors - YOU!

Galatians says that when we are kind and good, the law, cannot go against this type of behavior! Boundless ministry awaits for those that are KIND and GOOD. We can go to the very limits of Kindness and Goodness for the maximum benefit in the world.

KIDS on playgrounds will play more widely and more securely when they have fences around the playground. but without the fences, the congregate in the center.

We are like that as well. When i know that God has set boundaries around my life - yet Still Expects Kindness and Goodness - i can go to great lengths to spread the Kindness of God and the Goodness of God.

These two are wonderful Characteristics of God - They are the evidence of GOD to those in need.

EX. Pancakes and Water on Honeyfest were acts of Kindness. They weren’t random to us - because we planned them. To others that crossed our paths, they may have at first seemed random,

then Welcome.

then Welcome.

then Kind and Good.

then Kind and Good.

Then they realize the intentional outreach For Their Good.

We Choose to be Kind and Good.

Others are impacted, others benefit from your choice to be kind.

2.

NOTICE THE CHOICE to be kind before we intersect.

EX. Thank you! vs. No Problem!

2. The Fruit of Kindness & Goodness Is Meant to Be Shared

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I cannot just be kind to myself or in the end, I’m not truly kind.

I cannot be good just to myself or in the end, I’m not truly good.

As Christians we are meant to be Christ-like. There is nothing less honoring to Him than when we are the opposite to a watching world.

Too Busy to Help

Nearly 30 years a study was conducted at Princeton University, USA, designed to figure out the conditions under which good people would act for good, or at least be helpful. Two psychologists asked a group of theology students to walk to another building on campus to give a short speech, either about their motives for studying theology or about the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan. Meanwhile, the psychologists had arranged for an actor to be stationed on the path between the two buildings, slumped over, coughing and obviously in bad shape. The two experimenters had also led half the students to believe they were late for their speaking appointment, and half that they had ample time.

So, what do you think the responses were? Who was most likely to help: those with the story of the Good Samaritan uppermost in their mind or those thinking about the motives for studying theology? There was a significance difference between groups, but it was not along the lines of speech content. The content of the speech made no difference. About the same number of Good Samaritan speakers and theology motivation students stopped. What did mid make a difference was how rushed the students thought themselves to be. Only 10 percent of those led to believe they were running late stopped to help. Of those told that they had plenty of time, 60 percent stopped to help.