Kindness falls right in the middle of the list of the nine traits of the Spirit. As I write out and read over verses that have the word kindness (or in some cases, lovingkindess), it seems there is almost always an action included. Kindness is more than something we feel—it’s something we do.
In Job 6:14 we read this:
Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend
forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
Do those words give you pause as they do me? Do you find them a tad bit sobering? We often speak of “random acts of kindness” as a warm fuzzy to share, something that makes us feel good (as well as the recipient). A fine thing when we do it, but no consequences when we don’t.
This passage from Job forces us to consider that choosing not to release kindness is serious business.
Holy reverence for God almighty should prompt the follower of Christ to release kindness when it is within our ability to do so. To be kind is to just simply be nice. (And Christians sometimes are anything but nice.)
Where—and from whom—are we holding out? And why are we holding out?
- Do we use our full plate of home education as an excuse to shirk the opportunity to release kindness?
- Do we deem the person before us as unworthy of our time or resources?
- Do I dismiss the opportunity as “not my job?”
- Are we just too selfish to be interrupted?
The sobering words of Job pierce my heart. They make me realize it is not my schedule or resources I’m protecting; instead, I’m forsaking the fear of God.
What comes to mind when you read “fear of the Almighty?” Perhaps we tend to want to soften the “fear factor” where God is concerned. Many western-world-modern-day believers are reluctant to portray God as one to be feared. Maybe it’s much more comfortable to visualize Him as a doting grandfather. We sometimes want to see Him only as a God of love, and forget He is also a God of righteousness. He is to be feared—to be respected, revered, bowed to, and obeyed.
As I examine my own heart, I am challenged to ask: Do I take God seriously? Do I take my walk with Him seriously? Do I take His Word seriously? Does fear of God—and love of God—prompt me to release acts of kindness when it is within my ability (or perhaps even outside my ability, but possible for God) to do so?
Job specifically mentions kindness to a friend. Releasing kindness to a friend should be an easy burden—a pleasant assignment. Can we ask God to give us an opportunity to live this out?
Our choice to release kindness not only strengthens our bonds of friendship with the one we choose to bless, it also exhibits a holy fear of our great God. He is the One who—in providing our salvation—showed the greatest kindness of all.
Will you choose to ask God for a Kindness assignment, then look for the open door of opportunity and walk on through?
P.S. – Friends, so often when I speak, teach, and write, I’m reminded that God expects me to “eat what I serve.” In the midst of working on this post, my husband and I made plans to go out to dinner. It was a full week—and that day had been particularly long—and I was looking forward to a quiet evening with my man! As we settled in and placed our order, I looked over and saw someone we know: a young single man who is new to the area. I was so tempted to say nothing. It would have been so easy to hunker down with my hubby and enjoy some “us” time! But instead, I drew my husband’s attention to the young man and suggested we ask him to join us. Kevin wholeheartedly agreed and hastened over to extend the invitation. By releasing kindness, our intimate dinner for two was transformed into a delightful dinner with three of us enjoying fellowship together. Time and again, God teaches me that when I know what is right and choose to do what is right, it will eventually feel right.
ONLY A FEW MORE DAYS TO ENTER!
Our friend Melissa Habermas of Create4Good
has recently designed some beautiful t-shirts
showcasing each of the nine traits of the Fruit of the Spirit.
You can see (and order!) the collection on Amazon …
but Melissa has been kind enough to offer
a FREE shirt (in the design of your choice) to one of our readers. 
There are two ways to enter:
1) leave a comment on the September 27th Write The Word: Fruit of the Spirit blog post, and/or …
2) share your thoughts, favorite verse of the week, or a photo on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest with the hashtags
#AReasonForHomeschool and #WriteTheWord.
You’ll receive one entry for each comment or social media post. At the end of October,
a winner will be chosen to select a free Fruit of the Spirit t-shirt from Create4Good.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Open to U.S. residents only. Winners must provide a valid email address when leaving a blog comment.
To enter via social media, your privacy settings must be configured to allow us to see your posts.
Facebook, Pinterest & Instagram entries must use BOTH hashtags:
#AReasonForHomeschool and #WriteTheWord
A winner will be selected randomly from entries received by 11:59 p.m. (Central), October 31, 2018.
