Is Kindness visible in your daily life?

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience…Kindness

1 Cor. 13:4, “Love is patient, Love is KIND.”

Welcome to June. This has been an unusual year. Locked away in socially-distant isolation with a limited number of people for a seemingly endless number of days/weeks. Has it given you a new perspective on Kindness? Or would your pre-pandemic definition be unchanged?

When my kids were little, my hope was that they would always put their best foot forward whenever they were out in public. “If you must misbehave,” I would think (Or possibly even say aloud) “misbehave at home.” Now we’ve had a chance to be at home 24/7, and I was pondering why that was so important to me.

At the Shaull Casa (isolation version) there were only 3 of us: Hubby, Mother-in-Law, and me. Well, and Jett, our crazy rescue dog.

During their childhood, I may have wanted their best behavior outside the house because it was a reflection on our family and our values. But today I’m wondering if there might have been another side to it: People can be cruel.

The last thing I would want is for someone to have mistreated my kids because they had acted out. I’m Queen of the Mama Bears that way. So maybe I hoped for proper behavior to ensure better treatment from others. I don’t know.

What Kindness is:

As we explore this word, I first want to explore its location. It is often paired with patience, and I don’t think it’s a fluke. Why not? Because I found the pairing again in 2 Cor. 6:4 & 6, “…as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way… in purity, understanding, patience and Kindness, in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love.”

In Col. 3:12, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, Kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

Mirrors of God

Ps. 25:6 CEV says, “Please, LORD, remember, you have always been patient and Kind.”

God commanded Jeremiah to describe Him to Israel (in Jere. 31:3) “Sometime ago, the LORD appeared to me and told me to say: Israel, I will always love you; that’s why I’ve been so patient and Kind.”

Ps. 103:8, “The Lord is merciful. He is Kind and patient, and His love never fails.”

Since God is a combo of patience and Kindness, and we have His Holy Spirit within us, this is also how others should describe us. And yes, in combination with patience.

Honestly, on some pandemic days it was all I could do to be kind. I’m a big fat failure at it on my own. I’m so grateful to have His Holy Spirit within me to be my Kindness source when I’ve run dry. And TBH, it’s been worse on the days when my patience was also running low. But what I’ve learned is to step back and take another look through a lens of love. It makes all the difference.

Father God, I thank You for Your unfailing love, patience and overwhelming Kindness to me. I do not and could never deserve all You have done for me and the blessings You have given. Help me overflow with Kindness to demonstrate exactly who You are.

Thanks for stopping by today. If the stress of isolation and fear are overwhelming you, check out my FREE course, Less Fear More Jesus here.