Spreading God's Kindness in the World
Why True Kindness, Matters
In a world where you can be anything, be kind!
For a follower and disciple of Jesus Christ, this saying reigns true. But as we have studied throughout this week, true kindness that flows from the Source (God's Spirit) has a very intentional purpose: to move humanity into a restored relationship with God.
Kindness and love go hand and hand. If we simply do "nice" things for people without ever sharing the gospel of a loving Savior, we've done nothing more than the world. But when we point others to God through kindness, we are able to join in on the ministry started by Jesus.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God" (2 Corinthians 5:17-20).
God began a work of reconciliation through Jesus when "he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (vs 21). Now, as followers of Jesus living as the reconciled, we are called to carry that message of reconciliation into a dark, hurting, broken, and separated world. One of the most effective ways that we can carry this message into the world, is by coupling the Truth of the Gospel with loving kindness.
Throughout the gospel accounts of Jesus, as Jesus Himself began to declare this message to the world, He served those that he shared the truth with. He served through healing the sick, raising the dead, mending the wounded, restoring what was lost, and so much more.
In Ephesians 2: 10, we read that "we are his (God's) workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them". As we consider what "kindness" looks like in a broken world, we should consider the true purpose of kindness: to bring sinners to the Savior through loving kindness in the form of good works.
So just as Paul urges in Galatians 5: 17, 22-23, as the Spirit of God indwells us, we are then enabled to "walk by the Spirit" and and bear the good work fruit of the Spirit such as "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control".
As we enter into the month of July, we will shift our focus onto the fruit of "goodness".
