Fruit for the Holidays - Kindness

As we enter the holiday season, it’s all about kindness…right? It’s a time for giving of our time and financial resources. We pick out and wrap the perfect gifts, we give money in extra tips and bonuses, we bake and pass out cookies, we spend extra time with our churches and other service organizations, we donate to food drives, the list goes on... We can stretch ourselves pretty darn thin keeping up with the expectations and generosity of those around us.

Isn’t being kind is just a societal expectation? We need to do good, which makes us feel good. So how do our societal expectations of kindness differ from the supernatural kindness of God? Let’s look to Jesus as our example…

A few things stand out regarding the kindness of Jesus. One is that he was kind to people rejected by society. The woman at the well, the lepers and tax collectors for example. He was also kind to the people that rejected him and didn’t like him, and there were plenty of those. He asked God to forgive them as they persecuted him. And, of course he was kind to his followers and family.

Well, I am not so good at reaching out in kindness to people different from me. And I am definitely not good at being kind to people that reject me. It’s easier to be kind to people who like me but it can be pretty easy to take friends and family for granted. When I am kind, it is because it makes be feel good. Jesus is kind because it is his nature to be kind. He is kind regardless of how others respond to him (unlike me). However, what stands out the most to me from scriptures is how the kindness of Jesus leads people to repentance (Romans 2:5).

So...kindness leads people to Christ and to repentance. It softens the heart and points people to the Lord. When I look at it this way, it makes me desperately want to show kindness to everyone I am around. Especially the ones that are more challenging for me. It has nothing to do with me and getting people to like me, but me helping point people to Christ through kind words and actions. Kindness is powerful!

What would it look like for you to show kindness to someone that tends to reject you?

What are some of the ways you like to receive kindness from others?

Has anyone surprised you by their kindness toward you that sticks out in your mind? How did it make you feel?

How does the supernatural kindness change your perspective of the purpose behind treating people with kindness?

Scripture

“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” Romans 2:4

“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3: 4-7

“-and raised us up with him and seated us with him in heavenly place in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:6-7