Love is Kind to People

God has showed his kindness to us in the greatest way by sending His Son to die for us. He asks us to love Him and love others. The second way we show love according to 1 Corinthians is through our kindness. God asks us to show His love to others and one way to do this is to live a kind life.

Think about your family.

Think about your friends.

Think about your church.

Do you have their faces in your mind?

Now  think through some new ways to show His love through your kindness. I can write a note on my kid’s napkin for lunch. Take a meal to a sick friend. Babysit the kids of the sick friend. Speak encouraging words to my husband. Write a note to a parent telling them how much I love them. That’s all kindness. It’s also natural kindness.

Think about a family member that makes you crazy.

Think about a person who rubs you the wrong way.

Think of a group that you would consider an enemy to your way of life.

Showing kindness to these people is Christ-like lovingkindness. To love those who you just don’t like or who actively hurt you is kindness.

As I was studying kindness to others I kept coming back to the passage in Luke 6 when Jesus is telling his disciples about loving their enemies.  “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return,”

Let’s say someone I  don’t really like comes to my house and asks to borrow my brand new Pampered Chef stoneware for a party I’m not even invited to. I’m not even invited to this party and this girl who wants to use it has a reputation for taking advantage of people. The last thing I want to do is lend something to her. However when I read this passage I know that is what I should do.  In fact, I should offer my Kitchen Aid mixer to her as well. Hmmm. This is not what I wanted to find while I was studying kindness.

“and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”

God shows his kindness to the evil in this world. It’s true isn’t it? He sent His Son to save evil me. Yet I don’t want to show his love to those who I consider evil. When I decide that I can choose who to love and be kind to, I am no worse than those who don’t know Christ. How will they see Him if I don’t show His love to those people I don’t really like? What separates me from the World?

I find this a hard study. Sometimes you can be syrupy sweet to someone and they still treat you poorly or you just don’t like each other. Regardless of the outcome kindness is required because we are required to love.

Love is kind.