Kindness Matters

One of the fruit of the Spirit of God is kindness. To be kind to someone is to show hospitality, love, and concern. This might sound elementary, yet kindness is a trait we can all develop as we surrender to God. To give you some practical ideas, here are a few examples from the Scripture.

• Laban was kind in Genesis 24:31, “And he said, Come in, thou blessed of YHWH; wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and room for the camels.”

• Jethro was hospitable in Exodus 2:20. “And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread.”

• Manoah loved others in Judges 13:15, “And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee. “

• Samuel was generous, “1 Samuel 9:22 And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlour, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons.”

• David shared in 2 Samuel 6:19, “And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to everyone a cake of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed everyone to his house.”

• Barzillai was old in age but kind in heart, 2 Samuel 19:32, “Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man.”

• Job did well in 31:32, “The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveler.”

• The story of Zaccheus’s kindness is known throughout the world and is found in Luke 19:6, “And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.”

• Lydia showed the fruit of the Spirit in Acts 16:15, “And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.”