We live in a dark world, and we must expect the unexpected to arise. Even though we are living in dark times, we are the Body of Christ, the light of the world. What we do and say and how we treat people is important.
The topic that I am discussing today, I didn’t think to share with you. In fact, it was the Lord who told me to talk about kindness. Sometimes we all need a reminder that kindness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-25 NLT
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
The subject of kindness gets very little play in conversations between family and friends. Often kindness is looked upon as weakness – hence the saying, “don’t take my kindness for weakness”. Kindness is not for the weak because often people who are emotionally unstable can be short on kindness.
Pain, hurt, and anger impede people from being kind to one another. In fact, if you always do acts of kindness for people, friends, or strangers, you will run into someone who will say you’re too kind. Sometimes kindness can make people feel uncomfortable. They don’t believe that there’s anyone who could accept kindness without there being some hidden agenda. Just remember it’s difficult to be kind in this world that we live in and that’s why you don’t see so many gestures of kindness. Ask yourself, are you kind to people you meet?
Wow! I didn’t know kindness has an enemy.
And especially because it’s something good. As I stated already, it’s difficult to be kind regularly. The more kindness you display, the more the enemy will try to instigate your feelings and emotions trying to make you be just the opposite or to not do the act at all. So, does kindness have an enemy? More than one meanness, rudeness, selfishness, self-righteousness, and even ignorance, to a certain degree–fights kindness.
Oh, but wait a minute, kindness has some friends too!
When people decide to be kind and display acts of kindness to friends and strangers, there’s something to be said about that. Although they may have other things going on as we all do, it takes having other aspects in you to perform a genuine act of kindness, like consideration, goodness, joy, care, and love.
These are counterparts of kindness. If you didn’t have any of this inside of you, you couldn’t display an act of kindness. All those other key figures would play a part in your thinking and feeling process for you to decide to do something kind for someone, especially a stranger.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve known people who didn’t have one kind of bone in their body, so to speak. They were not considerate. You couldn’t find any love in them or care for anybody else. They are instead argumentative, vindictive, selfish, and other issues we wouldn’t want our children, family members, and friends to have.
I had an uncle when I was young. His name was Roland. He was one tough, unhappy troublemaker. My mother often would tell stories about him. He was my father’s older brother. My father was just the opposite. He would give you the shirt off his back even though you were a stranger to him!
Where does kindness come from?
Kindness is invited into the spirit of a person who has a deep connection with the Holy Spirit. Someone who is in love with GOD studies his word and is trying to live by it.
As I stated earlier, it is one fruit of the Holy Spirit, which means it originates from him. What’s amazing is he will take a portion of himself, the fruit called kindness, and deposit it into us.
Imagine God is standing right before you and you could see the fruit on his body, which is composed of those aspects I name earlier. Now he takes one of those fruits, kindness and he puts it onto you and as you release yourself to him, do what he says and follow his direction, he places other parts of himself onto you. Imagine how phenomenal you would be. It doesn’t matter where you came from. It is simply that you are humbling yourself and inviting the one who is deeply and passionately in love with you to become one with you. When GOD plants himself into your life, you will experience a profound metamorphosis.
This is key in your spiritual maturation process. Think about it!
GOD is sharing derivatives of himself with you. From my perspective, this is a significant reason to serve the Most High GOD, especially since there is no other GOD that would ever share himself.
If you tried reaching out to GOD with very little results, look at why this might be happening. You may want to re-examine your belief system.
Do you put others before GOD? If you say “yes”, problem number one. Do you believe there is more than GOD? If you ascribe to that way of thinking, you are misled. There is one GOD, anyone or thing other than him is false.
One of GOD’s names, besides his covenant name, Jehovah, is the Truth. So if you want truth, you must invite him into your life and embrace his prolific life giving word.
There are other places in the Word where GOD commands us to be kind to one another.
Worldly Kindness
There is worldly kindness, which is not really kindness, but something used to produce a result.
Unfortunately, there are people who will do nice things and appear to be kind because there’s a motive that is not good, it is manipulation.
Godly Kindness
The kindness releases in your spirit comes because of prayer, and serving the Most High GOD. A fruit grown, developed, and released in you by the Holy Spirit. When experience this kindness from a person, it’s not manifesting because they are secretly looking for something, but it’s there because of the godliness in them. You’re tasting the fruit which is now living and thriving in them.
So, if you’re a person who would like to be kind but struggle with showing kindness toward your family, friends, and even yourself, there are reasons which run deep within you. You may recall people who are very important to you who have mistreated or hurt you.
And maybe you were was once kind, but all that you have endured is so much, you find it hard to be kind again. Jesus can ease that pain and hurt, and rid you of the damage that is causing you not to be kind toward people.
That is why embarking on a relationship with Jesus, who is the highest authority, is important. He will obliterate all that pain. You need to just take one step at a time with him. Start by making small talk. Just be authentic. His acts of kindness and generosity toward you will surprise you.
Whenever you do an act of kindness to somebody authentically know that counts with GOD and it will return to you, maybe not at the moment you want it, but when you really need it. GOD will show up and show out for you. He will remember your acts of kindness even when you think people have mistreated you or took your kindness for weakness. The Lord will deal with them, but bless you.
The Lord will never ask you to be anything other than what he is, and GOD is kind. He’s very generous!
The Lord will never ask you to be anything other than what he is, and GOD is kind. He’s very generous! Cultivating kindness and generosity in your life will not only make you feel good, but it will elevate you and set GOD‘s sight on you.
Having the fruit of kindness as a part of your being is like a pheromone. It will draw people to you and GOD can use you to help heal people who need kindness in their lives.
If you grew up or were around people who were unkind to you and hurtful, you would certainly welcome someone in your life who is kind to you. You might not understand it at first. You may think the person has its hidden agenda and that you can’t trust them. Probably because you’re not used to it, so you are always on guard.
I will not get into salvation here because I expect I am speaking to people who have already made Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior. People who are trying to go deeper into the things of GOD.
Me and My Walk with GOD
Never stop walking with the Lord. I cannot convey that enough. No matter where you go, do not leave GOD out of the equation. Invite him into everywhere. His gentle soul and his giving nature is very attractive. When you have him with you, you’ll find doors open for you didn’t know existed. At the same juncture, doors you didn’t know were there. Negative or bad things that came into your life; he will close those doors and you won’t even hear them shut.
I have a very close, intimate connection with him. For example, I frequently go to a hotel to be with GOD alone. I’m beckoned by him to go to the hotel. That wasn’t an original idea I had, but I have been doing it for years. It’s a place where I am away from my husband, family, and team. There’s a lot that goes on in the hotel with me and GOD, more than I know at the time of our visitation.
The other day I was looking at which hotel I was going to stay at in Washington, DC. I usually go for upscale hotels because that’s my taste. A taste GOD has cultivated throughout the years. I saw the Residence Inn, the downtown convention center hotel in Washington, DC. I looked at the pictures of the inside of the hotel, along with the suites and the rooms.
Now, if you know hotels, The Residence Inn is not an upscale hotel, it’s geared toward a more family-oriented vibe. The suites have full kitchens for that purpose.
So, when I saw how nice and upscale looking this convention center hotel was, I thought I’m going to stay there. I picked a corner suite that had a super-sharp kitchen area with a white island facing the window.
A GOD set up
When I arrived, the lady inadvertently placed me in a standard room and handed me keys. When I specifically asked her if there was a walk-in shower, she said “all rooms have walk-in showers”. I then told her the type of room I booked. I corrected her and told her I did not book a standard room.
After rechecking my reservation, she saw I had booked the corner room but said they didn’t have any available, so she upgraded me. She gave me a suite, which I appreciated, but when I got to the room, I did not care for it. By the way, the hotel is nice guys. It’s upscale.
I sat down, called, and asked for the manager. They put the manager on the phone. He was very nice and explained they had water damage and were down to two rooms. He offered me some options. First, he wanted to give me points, then he said, “have you ever seen the hospitality room”. I didn’t know they had a hospitality room. They did not list it online. Footnote: if you’re going to visit a hotel, besides looking online, call and see if they have any other rooms that are not advertised, that you might be interested in.
So, I told him “no”, then he said, “you know what? I’m going to give you the penthouse suite”. I immediately said, “I’ll take that room”. He said, “I’ll meet you upstairs and we’ll go together”. So that’s exactly what happened. He brought the keys, and we went up to the penthouse suite. The suite is FABULOUS! The outdoor balcony was the size of a hotel room by itself and not only was it large, it wrapped around the entire penthouse suite. It had to be at least 1500 square feet. The kitchen was beautiful.
The reason I am mentioning this hotel is that The Lord had the manager offer me the penthouse suite. The hospitality as you read was available, but GOD had him skip that and go right for the best room in the entire hotel!
This gentleman, the manager, was doing an act of kindness precipitated by GOD. So, it was GOD who gave me that humongous room.
The King’s heart is in his hand, and he turns it whichever way. Proverbs 21:1.
If I described everything about the penthouse suite, it would be more than I needed by myself, but after all, I wasn’t by myself. I was with our Father and GOD. This act of kindness reminds me of how we can be kind to each other, even with the smallest details.
Opening a door for someone and holding it while they are still quite a ways away, and not looking like you are rushing them, but telling them to take their time. Is it an act of kindness?
We typically do things like that when people are pregnant or old, or have a lot of stuff in their hands, but what if we just did that for everyone? Wouldn’t it feel good?
If you read the Bible and I certainly hope you do, GOD refers to us as trees, not-to-mention kindness is a fruit. Wouldn’t you want that kind of fruit on your tree? When you are kind to other people, GOD will do the same for you.
You may think well he’s already kind to us; he wakes us up, provides food and shelter for us, etc., but I’m talking about special acts of kindness he will do for you, especially when you need things you normally could not attain on your own.
If you want to be like GOD and I certainly want to be like him, I tell him that frequently. Kindness should be part of your everyday life. I’m telling you when you do kind things for people, they will appreciate it and it will make you feel good as you go on your way. GOD‘s blessings will also grow for you.
Now there’s always going to be people who are so distracted with life issues and they may not seem appreciative of your act of kindness. Well, forgive them. We don’t know what they’re dealing with.
Do you want GOD to shine his gorgeous light on you and see how you are trying to be like him by implementing his behavior into your life? He’s instructed us on how to act toward each other?
Remember, this is not only for you, but for your children and family members as well. They might be somewhere and need an act of kindness from a stranger. GOD will provide it because of your kindness you show toward others.
Success,
Diana
