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3 Bible Verses About Kindness

I’m continuing my series based on the Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

This month I’m focusing on the fruit of kindness. The Bible is filled with examples of people being kind to one another. There is David being kind to his late friend Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth by restoring his family’s land to him and giving him a seat at his banquet table (2 Samuel 9:7). Boaz was kind to Ruth by providing her a safe place to glean grain and giving her extra provision for her and her mother-in-law Naomi, who were both widows at the time (Ruth 2:8-23).

Jesus described what it looks like to love your neighbor and to be kind to them by sharing the parable of the good Samaritan who stopped to help the Jewish man who was left half dead by robbers on the road to Jericho. Although Jews and Samaritans despised each other, the Samaritan in Jesus’ parable bandaged the Jewish man’s wounds, took him to an inn and cared for him and paid the innkeeper to look after the wounded man until the kind Samaritan returned from his trip  (Luke 10:25-35).

What a powerful lesson on being kind even to your enemies!

Kindness is contagious. Ever get inspired by seeing someone hold the door open for a stranger or seeing someone pay a stranger’s bill at the register?

Kindness doesn’t have to cost a thing. A smile, a warm greeting and saying thank you are all great ways to be kind.

Kindness can leave a lasting impression on a person. Think back to when someone visited you when you were ill, shared an encouraging word with you or took time to pray for you. How did that make you feel?

We can sometimes be in such a rush or be so absorbed in our own lives and problems that we forget to be kind to those we encounter throughout our day.

As Christians, we’re called to be kind. Thankfully, we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us and He can give us the strength and grace to be kind and gentle to those we cross paths with in our busy lives.

Here are a few verses to encourage you as you go about being kind to others:

  • “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)
  • “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
  • “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Colossians 3:12-14)

Today is a great day to start being more kind!

What intentional acts of kindness can you perform this week? Is there someone you could call, write or visit? Is there someone you can bless by treating them to a meal, watching their kids or running an errand for them?

I’d love to hear about some of your acts of kindness! Be sure to share them in the comments below. Blessings!

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For more encouragement, read my books Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough and Abounding Faith: 30 Bible Heroes Who Will Inspire You to Believe God for the Impossible! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Lessons From Imperfect Nails

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“I was admiring your nails from a distance,” said my colleague after a recent meeting.

What a nice compliment, right? But instead of saying, “Thank you,” I quickly blurted out something more like, “Oh, just keep admiring them from a distance. If you look closely, you’ll see how messy they are.” And I began to share all the flaws before she could spot them.

Stay with me. This incident is about more than simple nail polish or learning how to take a compliment. As I was having this conversation, I got a picture of what many of us do when we don’t want others to get close to us.

We try to keep people at a distance because we don’t want them to see how messy we can be. We want them to stay far away in hopes that they won’t discover our flaws.

Isn’t it sometimes easier to push people away instead of letting them see the real you? Especially if you feel like the real you is chipped, faded, or somehow missing the mark.

If you’re tired of hiding, may I suggest you:

Ask the Lord to show you who to trust. There are people around you who love you and want to get to know you better. The Lord will make them clear. Once He points them out, take step after step towards letting them into your world.

Be honest about your faults with trustworthy people. Chances are they probably can see your imperfections before you mention them or they can see them even clearer than you can. Pray and then take a risk and share with them some of what you’re struggling with. If they truly are your friends, they will love you even with your imperfections.

Remember that no one is perfect. Stop striving to be perfect in everything and in every way. We all make mistakes, we’re all learning, and as the Bible says we all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). That means we all need a Savior! When we sin, we can ask Jesus for forgiveness and He is Faithful and just to forgive us (I John 1:9). We can also confess our sins to those trustworthy believers that God has placed in our lives (James 5:16). That helps to bring healing!

Be rooted and grounded in God’s love for you! He loves you. Plain and simple. He’s not surprised by your flaws and weaknesses. He loves you anyway. His Grace is enough to help you in your weak areas and to transform you into the image of His Son Jesus. Even if others reject you, God’s love remains.

The next time you’re tempted to shrink back and hide, I hope you’ll ask the Lord to give you courage to be transparent with others!

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8)

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For more encouragement and to learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. You can also find me on YouTube and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Heads up!

Lessons from window washers

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Ah, New York City. The concrete jungle where skyscrapers abound. Of all the different ways that people can make a living in the Big Apple, I’m always quite fascinated by the window washers. Yes, those brave souls that enter into those suspended work platforms that slowly inch their way up and down some of the world’s tallest office buildings!

I look at them and I am amazed that they have the courage to do that kind of job!

Did you know that there’s a lot we could learn from those daring workers? For instance:

Trust: Being suspended in midair in midtown (or anywhere) is no easy task. They have to trust that the platform will hold them. They have to believe that they will be kept safe.

Patience: The workers are painstakingly lowered floor by floor. They have to clean window by window. Row by row. There’s no shortcuts when you’re cleaning the outside of buildings that stretch up into the sky.

Teamwork: Many times there are two workers in one platform. They need to work at a similar pace. They also need to look out for each other. Hopefully, they enjoy each other’s company.

Perseverance: They’re working outdoors, so they’re battling the elements on a daily basis. The sun must beat down on them on most days. Other days, they must contend with the wind or even rain.

Now let’s take a moment to compare some of the above characteristics of good window washers with our walk with the Lord:

Trust: How is your faith today? Are you leaning and resting in the palm of God’s hand knowing that He is in Control?

Patience: How are you handling God’s timetable? Are you still getting frustrated that things are not moving faster, or are you at peace with God’s pace?

Teamwork: How well are you getting along with others? Are you working on resolving conflicts or are you battling right and left with family, friends or co-workers?

Perseverance: Are you committed to sticking with it no matter what? Or are you ready to quit and give up in certain areas of your life?

I know it’s not always easy to trust, be patient, be a team player or to persevere. I hope the photo above will help remind you of these important characteristics and will encourage you to keep allowing the Holy Spirit to work in you and through you.

 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”      (Galatians 5:22)

Were you encouraged?  Feel free to leave a comment below.

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