I am defiant. I am rather morose. I don't really like talking to people, though I have a lot to say. It's easier for me to be straight forward and blunt about things than to beat kindly around the bush. You know, sometimes it's just hard to be kind over all. I mean, really, it's hard to be kind to that person who cut me off while driving, the annoying teenage boy that seems incompetent, the rude girl across the room - really, there are endless things I don't really want to be kind to. You know what? Some things don't really deserve my kindness at all - not even a teeny tiny bit. Because I will be kind, when I want to be kind, right? Because you know what? I'm not feeling very kind today - or a lot of days - or every day when I'm not being the nicest of people. I am justified to not be kind to unkind people, right? Actually... wrong.
Kindness was the fifth Fruit of the Spirit I learned about as a Sunday school student. To a kid, I mean, really what is kindness? Well, let me tell you. Kindness was sharing a cookie with someone else; kindness was being nice to the kid at the play ground that stole the swing you had wanted; kindness was - dare I say it - letting someone else have the last Oreo in the cookie jar. And while my version of child-like kindness may have been very right, it isn't very right nowadays. Because kindness doesn't stay in the same form as sharing cookies or giving away Oreos or letting someone else have a swing. Kindness has kind of changed for me, and for everyone else that is growing up too. Now, for me, kindness is not honking my horn when someone pulls out in front of me; offering to buy someone a coffee when I'm really not feeling like it; offering to take my siblings places even when I really don't want to and it costs gas money. And you know what? A lot of the time I do those things, I don't feel very kind while doing them, nor do I really want to do them.
The dictionary says that kindness means the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate. I would agree with what the dictionary says, because kindness is the mere essence of generosity, consideration and being friendly. And while I love the dictionary, I can't help but notice how bland it seems. Really, is that all kindness truly is? If so, how boring and simple! Kindness cannot surely be just that! So, on the journey for kindness I went, traveling through the Bible's pages. And do you know what I found, dear reader? Something more than just a silly definition. I found true kindness.
Kindness is forgiving one another and having a tender heart (Ephesians 4:32). Kindness is forgiving your enemies and doing good to them and expecting nothing from them in return because God is kind to the ungrateful and the evil (Luke 6:35). Kindness is blessing stupid people (1 Peter 3:9). In other words... kindness is forgiving the dumb girl that spread a rumor about you; kindness is heaping hot coals of Jesus onto people by being nice instead of rude. Kindness is smiling at the person that makes you so angry you want to beat yourself over the head. Kindness is blessing that ever-so-moronic driver that cut you off.
In short, kindness is being like God. I mean, God is still kind to us even though we curse Him, don't believe Him, turn our backs on Him and when we're being rather idiotic. Jesus washed the feet of His servants, including Judas', whom would betray him and sell him for a measly amount of silver. To lay down your own pride and wash the feet of someone you know will betray you and sell you out is more kindness than I could muster in a months. He was doing good to His enemies. Our Father is the perfect picture of kindness, and anything less is mundane compared to His holiness.
Being kind is really hard. It's tedious work. It's hard to keep my words straight when people are causing my patience to wear thin and such. Perhaps it's as hard for you as it is me - if it wasn't so hard, I doubt God would have so many verses on being kind. But, God is kind and we should strive to be kind, too. I'm not saying being kind is going to be easy (because it's not and satan likes to try to get in our way), I'm telling you it's going to be worth it. God blesses those who do good unto others. Take a step back from your life and look for kindness, because it might be hiding. Find it and apply it, because God is pretty fantastic when you start applying His Truth to your life.
"So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline." Colossians 3:12
No comments:
Post a Comment