KINDNESS

WHAT IS KINDNESS?

Kindness is a hospitable and friendly attitude towards others; a warm welcome given to visitors or strangers (3John 5-8) “Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles. We therefore ought to receive such that we may become fellow workers of truth.” In the absence of hotels, Christians normally showered hospitality to travelling Christians, even if they were strangers. One church leader, Diotrephes, refused to welcome some friends of John (Vs. 9-10) “I wrote to the church but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbid those who wish to, putting them out of the church.” There are so many Diotrephes found in the body of Christ even today brethren. They show partiality as well as not hospitable to the travelling Christians but instead prate against them with malicious words, But unlike Diotrephes, Gaius had showered them kindness (V. 1, 2) “To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth; Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” Because of his hospitability and kindness, Apostle Paul wished him prosperity and good health in all things. He had however, warmly received some teachers and missionaries who in turn, had said a good word to John about Gaius’s hospitality. And there was also Demetrius who had good testimony as well (V. 12) “Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true.” The gift of hospitality still serves as a powerful witness today to people who struggle with loneliness and who are seeking warm and accepting relationships.

THE ACT OF KINDNESS

Kindness involves treating others in a considerate, hospitable manner, helping them in their needs, being faithful to them. It is closely connected with love and compassion. God shows kindness by extending  His general goodness to humanity by giving, us many things  that we do not deserve, including salvation, and by helping us in the crisis that come to us in life. We are to imitate God’s kindness in the way we treat our family members and our friends, in the way we relate to our neighbors and those we meet each day. A special measure of kindness must be directed toward victims of injustice, the frightened, the sick and the needy. Beloved, kindness is expected of us as one of the aspects of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22) “But the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, long- suffering, kindness , goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. “ The writer continues to say, “Against such there is no law.” As humans, if we live and observe the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives, we will not be under the law but the guidance of God the Father, Jesus Christ His Son and the Holy Spirit our Counselor.  Apostle Paul in his epistle to Titus he wrote thus (Titus 3:4) “But when the kindness and the love of God Our Savior toward man appeared,” then all that we ever imagined of or think to receive in this life, we shall receive by the love of God working in us as love is closely connected to compassion of the Father.

THE HUMAN KINDNESS

Beloved, kindness is expected of us as Christians and we are commanded to show kindness to families, neighbors, friends and even our enemies. Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians thus (2 Cor. 6:3-8) “We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. But in all things, we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments,  in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fasting;  by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet  true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing , and yet possessing all things.” Apostle Paul commands us to give no offenses in anything so that our ministries as the ministers of the Gospel should not in any way be hindered nor be blamed  in any way but honor God in all that we do and as servants worthy of our call and also the heart to persevere. And to the Colossi he wrote (Cos. 3:12-13) “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long suffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.” With these virtues in life beloved, we will find it very easy to let go; but minus these, it’s a very big deal. Apostle Peter also had something to add to us thus (1 Pet. 1:5-9) “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.” With due respect beloved, let us observe these virtues with all diligence for the benefit of it, is fruitfulness in all areas of life.

EXPRESSION OF KINDNESS

We express kindness by showing forgiveness (Gen. 50:15-22) “When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.” So they sent messages to Joseph saying, “”Before your father died he commanded, saying, “I beg you please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sins; for they did evil to you.”’ Now please forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”  The guilt that a person does will always haunt them to the extent that they may use a lie in order to free themselves from the scar that they might have caused. Joseph’s brother’s in this case; use their dead father as escape- goat of forgiveness to the sins that they did to their brother Joseph and a their terror even made them too terrified to addressing  their father to Joseph as “Your father” But Joseph showed them kindness by forgiving their evil trespasses and comforted them (V. 19) “Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.” Joseph was a man full of God’s virtue with all diligence that he never paid his brothers evil for their evil acts but he showed them kindness as the Spirit of God did dwell in him.

Secondly, we express kindness by spearing someone’s life (Josh. 2:8, 12-13) “Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, and said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. Now therefore I beg you, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token, and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.” This was the prayer of Rahab the harlot to the two spies from the camp of the Israelites that were sent to spy the land of Jericho.  The covenant was sealed such that when the children of Israel took and destroy the city, only Rahab and her families were spared.

Thirdly, we show kindness by healing the sick: (Acts4:9) “Then Peter filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well.”

Forth, we show kindness by helping the needy: (Prov. 14:21,31; 19:17,22) “He who despises his neighbor sins; but he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he; “He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker, But he who honors Him has mercy on the needy; “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given; “What is desired in a man is kindness, and a poor man is better than a liar” Beloved, the preacher admonishes us to show kindness to the poor and needy, in order to acquire happiness for he who oppresses them reproaches His Maker and that means fighting God

Let kindness be the order of our lives beloved as we receive the happiness from God our Father.

“Grace to you and Favor from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with us all. Amen and Amen and Amen.”