".....love is kind."
What does it mean to be kind? Google says this:
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I think that's a pretty great definition and I believe it's safe to say God agrees with it.
"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." -Ephesians 4:32
"A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself." -Proverbs 11:17
"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience..." -Colossians 3:12
We all struggle with being kind. Sometimes it would be so much easier so go off on someone or make a mean comment rather than biting our tongues and seeking God. But God commands us to act out of love and kindness.
"And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love." -2 John 6
It's clear and it's written there for everyone to see: you are to LOVE one another, as Christ Jesus loved and loves you. There is nothing that we can do without love. As I have written before, love is ESSENTIAL FOR LIFE! And kindness is an incredibly huge aspect of love. Kindness is an act of love. It can be difficult at times, really difficult. How can we be kind to that person who cut us off on the road? Wouldn't we rather cuss them and yell at their car, even though they can't hear us? Or what about when someone says something rude and uncalled for to you? Don't we want to say something nasty back to them and treat them how they just treated us? Some of us even go as far as to make fun of people for how they look or talk. Why? Do we have any reason to be rude and ignorant? No. There is no solid reason why people treat others the way they do. But in contrast, we have plenty of reason to be the opposite: loving and kind. And that reason is because God commands it!
"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, bust seventy-seven times." -Matthew 18:21-22
Jesus tells Peter that he is to forgive those who sin against him 77 times. That is a lot. And in saying this, Jesus is telling him to always forgive.
"Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD." -Leviticus 19:18
Not only are we to forgive our brothers and sisters, we are to let it go and lay it at the feet of Jesus. We are not to hold a grudge or seek revenge. We do this because we are to obey God and show love, and kindness.
So, remember how I was saying God told me to hold off for a day about writing this kindness blog? Here's why. Last night was the presidential election, and boy was it intense all over the place. I expected everyone to have their own opinion and I of course expected some people to be happy with the results and others to be not so happy with the results, obviously. What I did not anticipate was how people would treat others over it! I got on Facebook this morning and people (Christians and non-Christians) were not only bashing our president but also their brothers and sisters, and some ever their family! It's one thing to voice your opinion, but to put down others is something different entirely. So many people are complaining about the president, but how about we take a look at American citizens and the way they are treating others and reevaluate why this country is the way it is. When did it become okay to call your friends names and say ugly things to them because you do not agree with their line of reasoning or thinking? When did it become alright to stop talking to family members because they voted republican and you voted democratic?! Instead of speaking down to others and tearing them apart, why don't we try loving them and humbling ourselves? Again, voicing your opinion is PERFECTLY fine and I encourage it! But please do not allow words to destroy the relationships in your life! God does not want this. He wants unending LOVE and KINDNESS. Do we really understand what being kind means? Or are we going to continue going against the Word of God and calling names, making jokes and bashing others?
Something else that really stuck out to me, was someone was sharing a story with me today. Someone they know is really struggling with something holding them in bondage. Therefore they are coming to stay with a family member to try and better their lives and seek their Savior more. When another family member found out they said "Why would I want to help them? I don't want them staying in my house with those problems!" or something along those lines. These words came from a Christian. Wow. It baffled me.
My third example. A friend of mine invited some of her friends to come hang out with some other people, but these friends were afraid of being judged, therefore they didn't want to hang out with them.
When does it stop? When is enough, enough? When do we stop putting others down with our words and instead lift them up in the name of Jesus? This is really being laid on my heart and I feel so much pain! If you do not have love, you do not have God! (1 John 4:8) Humble yourselves before God and before others and beg for God to fix your heart, beg for a loving and kind spirit. It is not until you learn to love that you can be kind, and kindness is part of God's command.
My heart is so heavy. I want the Lord to break me of this, I want to be a kind hearted woman who exemplifies God's love! I no longer want to live without love in my life every single day.
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