The Fruit of Kindness
Kill them with kindness. Do unto others what you would want done to you. These are common sayings, but they sound counterintuitive. Showing kindness shouldn’t kill anyone 😂 and what happens when someone isn’t treating you the way you want to be treated? Why is it so hard to be kind to people that think differently, act differently, or look differently? The dictionary definition of kindness is: the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. The Bible takes it a step further by saying:
“Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”
The Bible tells us that when we speak kindness it brings healing. So if sticks and stones can break my bones, a kind word can heal them ❤️🩹 .
Jourdan’s Definition:
Throughout my life, I have had people describe me as kindhearted. I share this, not to be boastful, but to provide context for my viewpoint of kindness. I love the idea of being known as someone who is kindhearted rather than just kind, because kindness comes from the heart. How kind you are (both to yourself and to others) is an indicator light for the condition, or intention, of your heart. You might be able to fake being nice, but you cannot fake being kind.
Although kindness can be shown in a single moment (i.e., an act of kindness), I think of it as more of a continuing act. Kindness is a way of being. Even its etymology confirms that this is true. The adjective kind comes from Middle English kinde "natural, well-disposed," Old English (ge)cynde "natural, native, innate.” It shares the same origin as the word kin — as in family! The root of the word points both to our natural temperament and to others. Aka our disposition towards others. God's second greatest commandment tells us how to treat others: by loving your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18, Mark 12:31). We cannot talk about kindness without talking about love. After all, "love is kind" (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). We love others by showing them kindness and we show kindness by loving others. This is making me dizzy, how about you?! But really, all this means is that love and kindness are interchangeable.
How do you love your neighbor as yourself? Sometimes it is easier to describe what not to do and that is exactly what the first half of Leviticus 19:18 does: "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people." In other words, forgive, forgive and forgive again! This echoes the forgiveness that God gave (and consistently gives) to us. I will leave you with this verse which brings everything full circle:
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."
Nohemi’s Definition:
When I started thinking of kindness, some professions came to mind - Caregivers, First Responders, and Nurses. It’s a job where you have to take care of other peoples’ needs before your own and it can be a thankless job. Now there are other jobs outside of healthcare where people don’t get thanked, yet people still choose these types of professions. Yeah some could argue it’s for the money or job security. Those that choose it for those reasons quickly find out it’s not for them. I honestly feel like people choose these professions to show kindness. I have met wonderful people in healthcare that truly love what they do because they get to help people and get to spread joy and kindness. I have seen patients that have been so rude and nasty, yet the healthcare worker keeps that smile on their face and stays positive because they understand that the patient is going through hurt, pain and/or suffering. People that act in this humble way remind me that showing kindness is about being selfless. These verses also remind me of this:
Philippians 2:3-4 - Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to you own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Galatians 6:9 - Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Core Fruit:
While we are called to display all nine fruit of the Spirit, we believe each of us has a fruit that is at the core of our being. It is the fruit that we display most often, the one that defines our personality, or the one that comes easiest. As promised in the introduction of this series, we want to help you identify your “core fruit.” We felt inspired by the idea behind the 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman. Just like knowing your love language can strengthen your relationships, so can knowing your own “core fruit.” We believe leading with the fruit of the Spirit helps us to relate better to God, and in turn others.
Your “core fruit” might be kindness if:
You are generous
You are outgoing
You are polite
You place others before you
You often perform random acts of kindness
Questions to think about:
How would you define “kindness”? When you think of “kindness”, who or what comes to mind? How can you be more kind this week?
