Choose Kindness

Today…Finally finally I get to talk about something a little less tricky than some of the other topics that I’ve gotten to speak on. It is however something that is missing in a large part of our world both inside and outside the church. I’m talking about kindness and choosing kindness.

Just to refresh we are on this journey of studying the fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in our lives as we choose to follow the Spirits leading in every part of our lives.

Paul writes in Galatians 5:22

New Living Translation Chapter 5

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

I want to start off today by telling you a story about kindness.

Some time ago there was a very astute businessman whose country had gone to war. He used his business skills to set up contracts with his country’s defense department and utilized prisoner of war labor to line his pockets. After a couple of years of wining and dining and getting extremely rich off the backs of those forced into labor something changed in this man. Disgusted by atrocities he witnessed and the cruel and harsh treatment of so many people he began to change. Slowly he began treating his workers with dignity. Feeding them, housing them, protecting them from arrest and even harsher labor camp conditions. He falsified records and was interrogated several times himself over suspicions of aiding the enemy. He risked his life and his family’s lives to show kindness. He used all his fortune to take care of these people ending up penniless by the time the war was over. And eventually this man and his life story inspired a movie based upon his story. Countless peoples lives were saved and he even has a tree planted in his honor. Both the man and his wife were recognized the Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations. I am sure by now some of you know who I am talking about. This man’s name was Oscar Schindler and he saved over 1,200 Jews from the Holocaust.

Why is that stories of great courage and kindness capture our attention so much more than anything else. I could read and listen to thousands of stories of acts of kindness and they would never get old. Maybe, just maybe it is because although we long for kindness this world has very little of it to offer.

Let’s face it kindness is in extremely short supply today. I mean you can look on the news and see it, you can go to Walmart and see it, you can post an opinion on social media and see it, and unfortunately you can go to church and see it.

So when I start on a topic I like to try and define it for myself to make sure I can get my hands around it. Kindness if a hard topic to pin down. There are a lot of different words that we have that that can kind of go in place of kindness. Goodness, mercy, and grace are a few of these things.

The theological definition of kindness is really kinda funny. Here’s what it says

Kindness is an attribute of God and a quality that is desirable but not consistently found in humans. The second part of that is what is funny. Not consistently found in humans.

Now when you think of kindness, goodness, mercy, and grace if you’re like me you wonder where are those traits put on full display. Who carries those traits so I can see how I’m supposed to display those. You have to look to God to find kindness in its pure form.

One of things that I want you to remember from today is that kindness can only be taught by action not by words. I can describe kindness and give you a definition but you the funny thing is when you see it in action something inside of us lets us know hey there is kindness. It resonates deep within us and the reason it does is because since kindness is an attribute of God and we are made in His image things like kindness hit us in a different spot. But how do you make kindness a choice. How do you choose kindness?

The way Paul puts it in Colossians kindness is a choice for the believer in Christ. Check out what Paul wrote

Colossians 3:12–17 NLT

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Theres a lot to unpack in there notice how he says you must clothe yourselves with kindness among other things. It’s a choice that each and every one of us has to make. It’s not natural to us that’s why it’s a “FRUIT” of a Holy Spirit led Life. You have to make a choice daily, hourly, sometimes minute by minute to act and react in kindness.

I don’t know how many of you know who football coach Herm Edwards is but he was an NFL coach now he’s coaching college but he used to speak at the rookies camp for incoming rookies to the NFL. And this was back when social media was first coming on the scene and he gave this whole speech and I listened to it. I really couldn’t tell you 98% of what he said but his main point I can still remember. DON’T HIT SEND!!! You ever typed out something on your fb, email, text message, twitter, snapchat, tik tok, instagram or your myspace for all us older folks....and thought ehhh probably shouldn’t send that. Then BOOM hit send anyway. That is a decision point an opportunity for us to clothe ourselves in kindness. We all miss it a lot I know I do. But here’s what else I know. The closer my relationship gets with Jesus, the more I communicate with Him in prayer, the more I listen to that still small voice the easier it becomes to be kind.

Another way to choose kindness is to choose not to retaliate when people are unkind towards you. The apostle Peter writes about this in 1 Peter chapter 3

1 Peter 3:8–9 NLT

Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.

When you look in your Bible at this the heading above verse 8 says ALL CHRISTIANS. Peter was making sure that from then to now and in the future everyone who reads that understands that He is talking to every born again believer in Jesus Christ. When somebody insults you just let it go don’t go back at them harder. When somebody does you wrong pray for them. I know it’s hard and it’s not what we want to do....BUT IT’S WHAT WE ARE CALLED TO DO. I want to make this point....

IF WE ARE UNKIND THE WORLD WON’T BE ABLE TO TELL US APART FROM ANYBODY ELSE.

We aren’t called to be like the rest of the world. We are salt and light and we should be bringing HOPE to everyone we come into contact with.

Clothing ourselves in kindness is part of our growing and maturing process. The closer we are to Jesus, the better our relationship gets with Him the easier it will be to be kind to others. The reason that we are reminded again and again to be kind is because in our flesh we don’t want to be. We are naturally selfish and want things done our way and want people to bend over backwards for us without anything required on our part. Again that’s why kindness stories fascinate us so much and why kindness is a fruit of a spirit filled life. Without the Holy Spirit kindness is foreign to us. The Holy Spirit is teaching us and guiding us gently telling us....Don’t press send. Don’t say that. Don’t respond that way. It’s our job to listen to that teaching and guiding and prompting of the Holy Spirit.

In The Gospel of Luke we get a picture of kindness. 1 of 2 object lessons I want to highlight. The subject of both of these lessons is Jesus. Luke records this one in chapter 22 verse 47-51

New Living Translation Chapter 22

47 But even as Jesus said this, a crowd approached, led by Judas, one of the twelve disciples. Judas walked over to Jesus to greet him with a kiss. 48 But Jesus said, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”

49 When the other disciples saw what was about to happen, they exclaimed, “Lord, should we fight? We brought the swords!” 50 And one of them struck at the high priest’s slave, slashing off his right ear.

51 But Jesus said, “No more of this.” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.

There are 2 acts of kindness that we can learn from in there. The first one is Jesus didn’t take Judas to task for betraying Him. He didn’t yell and scream at him call him a backstabber and a sellout. He simply asked him a question then let him do what he was there to do .

The second one is where he healed the high priest’s slave. He got his ear slashed off by a sword. IF it were me I would have left that ear laying on the ground. I would have fought and yelled and told that guy he’s lucky to just lose an ear. But Jesus....oh man how many times in our lives do we say but Jesus.....Jesus healed his ear but He didn’t just speak the healing....he touched the man. Imagine the touch of Jesus. That is kindness in action.

And here is the last one.....Here is where it all boils down to. The greatest act of kindness every performed in the history of the world.

Paul writes this in his letter to the Roman Christians

Romans 5:6–8 NLT

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Greatest act of kindness ever. And now we know who to look at for our example of kindness. Jesus is the perfect example. Kindness did not come cheap for Him. It cost Him His life. I don’t have a final point. What I have to today is a final plea. If there is anyone in here, online, on the app, or on FB that has not yet turned their life over to Christ today is the day. You see His kindness is shown like this,

HE DIED, SO WE COULD LIVE

Our sin separates us from a Holy God. We aren’t good enough kind enough moral enough to bridge that gap on our own. SO there is this balance in place between pride and hopelessness. We can be proud and try to measure ourselves against another person but let me tell you something don’t pick me. I guarantee you you’re better than me but I WAS BROKEN BEYOND REPAIR. Of course youre gonna look great when you compare yourself to broken people. When your pride breaks is when you try to measure up to God’s standard and realize none of us can ever measure up.

Hopelessness can set in. What’s the point if we can’t ever measure up. We think about giving up.

That’s where the kindness of Jesus comes in. He comes to break the pride and offer hope to hopeless. So if you need to do some business with God right now you can.

For those of us who are Christ followers and we just haven’t following the Holy Spirit allowed Him to teach and guide us the altars are open for you as well.

I’m going to pray and then the band will play....don’t wait come on down even while I’m praying you can come.