Kindness

“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering…”
~Colossians 3:12
 
 
The word kindness is described in many ways. 

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Affection, generosity, gentleness, concern. These are just a few definitions of kindness, yet they all seem to be saying a different thing. Generosity is completely different than concern, so how can they both tie into the meaning of kindness?

I think this has a lot to do with the reason that kindness can be shown in SO many ways. And many people accept kindness differently. For instance, one person would see a gift as an act of kindness, while another might be more apt to accept kindness in the form of affection or a gentle word of exhortation.
What are some scriptures that speak on this topic?

“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”
Ephesians 4:32
 
“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”
Romans 2:4
 
“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant.”
1 Corinthians 13:4
 
“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;”
Colossians 3:12


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​Jesus was our perfect example of kindness. Everywhere throughout the Bible we read how He felt compassion for the poor, sick, and widowed. How He showed tenderness to countless people with a heart spilling over with kindness.
 
He had compassion and mercy on us, taking our place on the cross, the tree that we should have been crucified on.

What are some ways that we can show kindness to others?
As you read these, try to think of a special person in your life that would benefit from one of these acts of kindness. Remember that some people accept affectionate and personable kindness better than gifts and acts of serving.
 

        1. A smile or a hug
Yes! Even something as small as a smile can show such a great act of kindness and brighten their day so much.
 

       2. Serving opportunities
Washing the dishes, making your sister’s (or brother’s) bed, cleaning the house, sweeping the floor…the possibilities are endless! All these things are great acts of kindness that will really bless someone’s heart!

       3. Prayer
Charles Spurgeon, as you read above, believes that the greatest act of kindness for him, is somebody’s prayers. There’s a lot of truth in that. It takes only a few moments to pray for someone, and you never know, your prayers may have been just the thing to help that person through their day.

       4. A gift
Even something small, like a bouquet of flowers or a plate of homemade cookies can be used as an act of kindness. Because, who doesn’t enjoy a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies?!
Did you happen to make some today? If you have a few extra lying around (though if you’re anything like us there is no such thing as “extra cookies lying around”) then you could put some on a plate and take them to the neighbors.
You showed an act of kindness right there, and it didn’t even take much effort on your part! But imagine what a blessing it could be to others! 
 
 
You see, acts of kindness don’t have to take a lot of time or effort on our part. There are so many simple ways to bestow kindness to someone, it just takes thinking about it.
 
Let’s all try something this week. Let’s determine to make a conscience effort to show kindness to at least one person.
 
With humble hearts, let’s all strive to become more like Christ and take these things to heart.
Let's all be joyful, willing, servants of our King.