Kindness

The fifth fruit of the Spirit, kindness, reflects God's loving actions toward us. We in turn must learn to bestow kindness on others.

Kindness goes hand-in-hand with love. It is an active expression of love toward God and fellow man, produced through the power of God's Spirit.

Richard Ritenbaugh, acknowledging that Americans have a reputation for kindness warns that we are likely more and more to see a dark underside of America, where hardness of heart supplants kindness. In this milieu, chesed (covenant loyalty and mercy, or sh. . .

Martin Collins, reflecting upon the pervasive reluctance of many to perform acts of kindness (largely resulting from the cynicism of our society) recommends that we, as called-out firstfruits, desperately need to internalize the godly traits (or fruits of . . .

Paul admonishes us in Ephesians 4:32 to "be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. As Christians, we have a responsibility to be kind ...

Clyde Finklea, asking us what identifies a person as a true disciple of Christ, points to the command in John 13:34, commanding that the disciples love one another as Christ loved us—loving to the extent that He would give up His life. God is compose. . .

Most people understand the basic point of this well-known parable. The whole story describes working compassion as contrasted to selfishness. It also clarifies just who is our neighbor.

A well-known principle of Bible study is that repetition is among the best forms of emphasis. If God states something once, it is important, and if twice, ...

Clyde Finklea, decrying the careless way the world uses the word "love," does some etymological explorations of the Hebrew words ahavta and chesed connoting giving, commitment, unfailing love, devoted to acts of kindness, mercy, and longsuffering. These c. . .

We saw in Part One that the defining, identifying trait of Christ's disciples is that they show love for each other just as Christ loved His disciples (John 13:34-35). ...

Mercy is a virtue that has gone out of vogue, though it is sometimes admired. Jesus, however, places it among the most vital His followers should possess.

Prior to the Days of Unleavened Bread, we are told to examine ourselves. How can we do that? Here are a few pointers on doing a thorough, honest once over.

It is easy to fall into the traps of judgmentalism, gossip, and unforgiveness. We must overcome our natural reactions and use forbearance in our relationships.

Martin Collins, citing Ephesians 4:29-32, warns against corrupt, bitter, and wrathful communication, a practice which may grieve or attenuate God's Spirit. We have the tendency to nurse or harbor grievances and bitterness, souring our outlook on everything. . .

We are called to take on the very nature of God, to put on the love of God. Surprisingly, We can rekindle our first love by ardently keeping God's Commandments.

Martin Collins, reflecting on self-examination prior to Passover, warns that worthiness to take the Passover is not a function of an appearance of goodness, but an altered condition of the heart, involving repentance coupled with God's Holy Spirit'having g. . .

Ryan McClure, reflecting on his experiences starting in a new company, related that he desperately wanted to establish favorable relationships with his fellow employees and God. Relationships are enhanced when one assiduously keeps the Laws of God, loving . . .

We are obligated to show compassion and mercy to all, refraining from gossip, exercising righteous judgment, forgiving others and applying the Golden Rule.

We all have low days on occasion, but when our despondency turns to self-pity, we have a problem. The "woe is me" attitude can mire us in stagnation and severely hamper our growth because self-pity is just another form of self-centeredness.

Goodness is a nebulous concept, used to describe everything from a tasty snack to God's sublime character. But God's character defines what goodness is.

Focusing upon the rising tide of societal incivility, Richard Ritenbaugh warns that discourtesy and ugly in-your-face attitudes (fruits of the flesh) have also manifested themselves in the greater church of God. These disgusting works of the flesh (Galatia. . .

Bill Onisick, focusing on Shawn Achor's book, The Happiness Advantage, asserts that, because a brain with a positive attitude has higher levels of dopamine and serotonin, it is more successful and productive. We can draw some spiritual analogies from Shawn. . .

Martin Collins, acknowledging that weariness in patient well-doing is probably the biggest affliction upon God"s Church, urges that we sow spiritual seed (largely thoughts and deeds) in order to reap spiritual character (fruits of repentance and fruit. . .