Kindness: July 24, 2014

TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY JULY 24, 2014.

KINDNESS

DEFINITION:

Compassion; tenderness; considerate; gentleness; unselfish.

SCRIPTURE:

Thus says the Lord, let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises loving kindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things, declares the Lord. Jeremiah 9:23-24.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Years ago author Ray Stedman said that joy is love enjoying itself; peace is love resting; patience is love waiting; goodness is love choosing; faithfulness is love keeping its word; gentleness is love empathizing; self-control is love resisting temptation; and kindness is love reacting.

Kindness stems from love and love comes from God. We asked ourselves the questions, “What does love that comes from God look like? “How does love react?”

 First of all it is revealed in us having generous thoughts that look for the good in people. Secondly, kindness is shown with sensitive words that are spoken to the unruly for discipline and the well behaved for praise.

Kindness is reacting to love when we give considerate responses to words that are spoken in the face of anger or injustice. Kindness also is when we make intentional efforts that will benefit others without personal gain to us.

Kindness is not something we put on for certain occasions to make ourselves look good. Kindness is an attribute of God that He desires to reproduce in us. The Lord delights in showing us loving kindness and it is pleasing to Him when we show loving kindness to others.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 8:28.

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

PRAYER:

I confess to You the times that I have not shown kindness to someone who needed a touch from You through me. May Your Holy Spirit develop the fruit of kindness in me so that I may respond to Your desire for kindness to be evident in all that I do.