"Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off."
Romans 11:22 (ESV)
"The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him."
Nahum 1:7 (ESV)
Human Kind vs. Human Good?
I must admit, it's difficult for me to sometimes distinguish between 'kindness' and 'goodness'. Some may argue that 'kindness' is what you practically show towards others, whereas 'goodness' is an attitude of the heart. Others may argue that it is the other way round.
Recently, the main revelation for me has been that both 'kindness' and 'goodness' can only be truly attributed towards God. The creation can never be greater than the creator itself. God created us in His image, which means that we inherently carry His goodness and kindness in us.
In Genesis, we decided to eat from the tree of knowledge, which allowed the idea and concept of 'evil (or bad)' to enter our minds and hearts. Ever since then, humanity has chosen to opt for 'evil' rather than 'good'.
Perhaps you disagree with me, but our sinful nature doesn't allow us to 'be good'.
Our son is currently going through something that most people refer to as 'testing phase'. He continually tries to push all our buttons by doing silly things. Whether or not it's intentional is another question. The fact is: he's making the wrong choices.
You can gently explain to him why he shouldn't do something, but the next minute, he'll be off doing it again.
Enter discipline!
This is a major discussion point amongst parents. How do you discipline your child? How do we teach our child to do 'good' rather than 'bad'?
Trust me: we have to ask God for lots of patience, grace and mercy towards our son. And we don't have the answers to all our questions. But the best way to teach another person to be and do good seems obvious. It's by being kind and good to that person, despite his shortcomings.
Despite our continuous rebellion and disobedience towards God, He still decided to show us kindness and mercy. After all we did, He gave us the greatest sacrifice to end all sacrifices - to put an end to our striving for God's favour. Jesus came to transform us and usher us into a new way of life.
Jesus calls you to join Him in establishing His kingdom on earth - a kingdom of kindness, reigned by goodness and mercy.
The word 'kindness' has its origin in the Old English word kyndnes meaning ‘nation’ or ‘produce, increase’. I think that's so appropriate, because Christians are to be one nation under God (not like the U.S.A.). The kingdom of God doesn't exclude anybody! It's ruled by a king who is the tree of the spirit and who has sent us the fruits as a gift. This king was nailed to the tree of evil, so that we could regain the goodness that exists only in and through Him. His kindness produces kindness and goodness in us, so that we can increase His kingdom with other brothers and sisters.
Rooted in Love
Again, this type of kindness is rooted in God's love. Love is not just patient. It is kind, too. (1 Corinthians 13:4) There is a Greek word used in the Bible - philadelphos. It means 'brotherly love' and is often associated with the Christian idea of kindness. It's about extending that which God has given us to others - whether they're worthy of it or not.
Honestly speaking, it is the greatest challenge to love those who can do nothing for you. To act out of complete selflessness. And there are real consequences for those Christians, who refuse to reflect God's kindness in their life. It says that we will 'be cut off'.
What does that mean?
The Holy Spirit doesn't just provide us with those beautiful fruits. It also reveals the Truth. It convicts us of the moments where we took a wrong turn. If we don't acknowledge those wrong turns, it's like putting an axe to the tree that is supplying us with those fruits. Sin is not only destructive to those around us. Sin is predominantly self-destructive. I think blasphemy against the Holy Spirit also involves us rejecting the fruit of the Spirit.
God offers us to be rooted in His love. He supplies us with His loving kindness in order for us to share it with others. We cannot claim the monopoly on kindness!
It's the same with generosity. God is generous towards you, so that you can be generous towards others. This doesn't only mean financial generosity. We can be generous in many other ways (e.g. giving of our time, helping others practically etc.).
Kingdom Built on Trust
Lastly, I believe kindness can be withheld from others, because we don't trust in the fact that the other person deserves it. The current cultural climate presupposes that the 'other' is the enemy. It's no wonder that people are becoming angry with the status quo. Trusting another has never been this difficult.
Corona has brought about the actual physical distance that already existed in our minds. We are removing ourselves from intimate relationships with one another, where vulnerability is able to be shown. Our hearts are guarded by mighty walls of cynicism and disappointment. I've experienced this myself and we need the Holy Spirit to break down those inner walls that are causing metaphorical outer walls to be built.
Our only true refuge in these times is God. The foundation of His kingdom is trust. If we are able to trust God and His higher ways, then we'll be able to see how kindness is a vital building block in expanding that kingdom.
The fruit of the Spirit is a new fruit we're invited to eat, because it contains only 'goodness'. The more we eat from that fruit, the more fruitful we will become. The fruit of the Spirit finds its home in our hearts and is spread through the words we speak to each other.
Let me explain: I heard Jimmy Evans speak about us sowing seeds through each word we speak. Every word either brings life or death. In essence, the kingdom of God will grow with every seed of unconditional kindness:
But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. (Matthew 15:18)
The daily challenge for us as Christians is to speak life with every word that leaves our mouths. Let those words be kind words, that "are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body." (Proverbs 16:24) Let your words and actions come from a place of goodness. Let others see the fruit of the Spirit in your life saw by the way you treat them. Be a garden of grace, where others feel God's presence. Let others taste and see that the Lord is good!
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