Fruit of the Spirit--Kindness

"The fruit of the Spirit is...kindness..." (Galatians 5:22)

The King James Version has the word "gentleness" here but almost all modern versions read "kindness." "The fruit of the Spirit is...kindness..."

Kindness describes the gentle, gracious, generous disposition that results in the doing of favors, the showing of mercies, and the bestowing of benefits on others. The kind person is gracious, not harsh; sympathetic, not indifferent; and helpful, not uninvolved. He is considerate, compassionate and charitable.

There is a natural kindness which even the people of the world show to one another. But the kindness which is produced by the Spirit is supernatural. It goes above and beyond anything that man is capable of doing by himself. It enables a believer to lend, hoping for nothing in return. It enables him to show hospitality to those who cannot repay him. It enables him to reward every insult with a courtesy. A Christian university student displayed this supernatural kindness toward another student who was an alcoholic. The latter had become so disgusting that he had been rejected by his classmates and finally was evicted from his quarters. The Christian had an extra bed in his room and so invited the drunk to live with him. Many nights the believer had to clean up his roommate's vomit, take his clothes off, bathe him, and put him to bed. It was a magnificent display of Christian kindness.

And--to complete the story--it paid off. Once, during a sober period, the dissolute fellow asked with irritation, "Say, look here, why are you doing all this for me? What are you after?" The Christian replied, "I'm after your soul"--and he got it....

quoted from One Day at a Time, by William MacDonald

Too often I find myself being unkind and ungracious towards others. What a shame to my testimony for the Lord! It makes me wonder what sort of an impact we could have for the cause of Christ if all believers were characterized by a generous and gracious spirit? Would we begin to see revival in our neighborhoods if we were consistently displaying the kindness of the Lord, as only produced in us by the Spirit of the Lord?

I am praying that you and I might show this sort of kindness to those around us. To our neighbors, to our co-workers, to our brothers and sisters in Christ...and that each one of us might make a small difference by exhibiting the kindness of the Lord to those around us.