“Love is kind” 1 Corinthians 13:4
We’ve spent the last two weeks talking about how important love is in our lives. Now we will begin defining love by its actions. The first defining action we will look at is kindness. Kindness at its true core is the enhancement of the life of another. In order to truly understand the definition of kindness, we need to look at how the Bible defines it in the supernatural kindness of God.
“In a surge of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD your Redeemer.” Isaiah 54:8
God speaks of His kindness shown through His compassion on us. This means when He looks at us He sees us through eyes that have concern for our well-being. He sees past the bad to the needs we have. This is important if we are trying to live a life of kindness, because our motive is for the enhancement of another. We can hardly begin to enhance another’s life if we are blind to their needs. The people who usually need love the most are oftentimes the hardest to love. So our love is displayed in the kindness we show to others by our true concern for their well-being. Now who deserves our compassion and kindness and what effect does that have on them?
“But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” Titus 3:4-5
God showed us His kindness best through the salvation He provided in His Son. His kindness and love was revealed in our Savior. Why were we showed this great kindness? Because we deserve it? Because we earned it? No. Because of His mercy towards us. His mercy was the doorway for us to experience the love of God in His kindness and compassion. There is nothing we could ever do to earn or merit His favor in our lives. And likewise, we should not put price tags or boundaries on who is deserving of our kindness in love. True kindness, true love, is shown in mercy, regardless of the object’s ability to qualify. Three things these verses reveal about the effect of our kindness in love. Our kindness purposes to save, regenerate or change and renew. In God’s kindness, He provided our salvation in His Son. Through that salvation, our lives are cleansed and made new. Then we are filled with His Spirit which continuously sanctifies us day by day. God’s example of kindness is not only compassionate but saving and life changing. And the objects of His affection are not capable of earning this love, yet He stoops to lift us up to Him because He sees our need for Him. Which brings me to the hardest to love… our enemies, or those who we deem least deserving of our kindness.
“But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” Luke 6:27-31
The kindness we are to show to the least deserving of our love and sacrifice is very clear. We are to love those who don’t love us. We are to do good to those who wish to harm us. We are to bless those who curse us. We are to pray for those who use and abuse us. To those who hit us we are to respond in grace turning the other cheek. To those who take the coat off our backs, we are to give them our shirt also. We are to give to those who ask and not ask for those things that were taken. We are to do to them what we wish they would do for us. How very difficult all this truly is! It is physically impossible to show this kind of love apart from God. Because we are ingrained with the need for vindication and self-preservation. Survival of the fittest, right? But in God’s great mercy, because of His deep compassion for us, He saves us from our selfish selves, and changes our hearts so the impossible becomes possible. We are able, through Him, to love those who don’t love us back, and through that miraculous work, change others’ lives for the better.
I often use the phrase ‘Hurt people, hurt people.’ What I mean by that is that people who hurt us are usually hurt themselves, and vice versa, we hurt others when we ourselves are hurt. There is so much pain and suffering in this world at the hands of people. You don’t have to go too far before someone offends you in some way shape or form. And nature tells us to strike back when we are hurt. But what happens when we don’t strike back? What happens to that rude coworker who never acknowledges your hello or never speaks respectfully to you, if you remain kind and see past their rude behavior to their need to see love in action? What happens when you stand beside the darkness of their hate and radiate the love of God in your actions through compassion and kindness for the sake of their well-being? Will God be allowed to move in that interaction? Will miracles happen and lives change? Why speculate when we can test and see? Why guess when we can obey and let God handle the rest?
When studying this passage I’m faced with so many people who need for me to be that example of God’s love in their lives. I want to effect that change in the world around me. I’m tired of being just another hurt person, hurting people. I want to collide with others in such a way that heads turn and the cycle is broken. Don’t you want to make that change too? Let’s stand together and effect this change! Pray with me through this journey, and walk down these paths of love. If there ever was a time to make a huge impact for the kingdom of God, it’s now.
Lord, Thank you for the love you have shown us! Thank you for the mercy you have given us and the compassion you have for us. Thank you for seeing our great need for reconciliation to you and our inability to achieve it. Lord, help us to reflect the love and kindness you so freely give us. Help us to have mercy on those around us who need your love most. Help us to see past their sin and mistakes to their needs. Give us a heart of compassion for those we struggle to love most. Give us the power to change the tide of hurt around us. Make us Your beacon of light in the darkness of this world. Help us to love as You love. In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen.
bearingwithlove 