Fruit of the Spirit (Kindness
“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue” (Proverbs 31:26 ESV).
Twenty-two verses of Proverbs chapter 31 speaks of the characteristics of the “wife of noble character,” and in the middle of them is the verse above. She is a wise woman who teaches kindness. Sounds like a great combination to me, one that blesses not only her husband and children, but those who live around her. If her children follow her teaching, joy will thrive in the family.
Ephesians 4:32 expands the reach of kindness: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (ESV). It includes a tenderhearted and forgiving nature because that’s what God has been to us. This verse also expands the reach of kindness from the civil family to the entire family of Jesus Christ.
Luke 6:35 expands kindness even further—to our enemies. “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, 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” (ESV). The teaching of kindness by the “wife of noble character” has grown from kindness within the family to the entire population of the world. And why do you think that God asks us to expand kindness to so many? We all know why, because he loves everyone, and He has extended the extreme kindness of the sacrifice of His only Son, Jesus Christ, to forgiveness of the sins of everyone—that’s right, everyone—no exclusions. As His children, we are expected to love as He loves—even the very difficult ones.
Fortunately for us, God is compassionate and understanding, and He extends His mercy and grace as far as His love reaches. When we don’t show kindness to everyone, we can repent and ask for forgiveness, the greatest kindness ever shown. At the same time we also realize that God expects us to reach toward His high standard to the best of our ability. So, “kindness” is the word for today. Let’s exercise kindness today and bring glory to God.
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