Kindness

Love this weeks Sunday school lesson.  It's called "Demonstrate Kindness".  It brought some things to my mind that has happened recently a few months ago.  My best friend called me one night.  She lives near Tallahassee FL, divorced, with 2 little children.  Ex-husband lives somewhere out of the states and won't help her support their children.  Any ways we talked for awhile.  Then she broke down and asked if I could help her with a bill by sending her some money.  She had a high electric bill for she was behind on it.  I said I could send a little but it would not cover the whole bill.  She said she would pay me back and in payments and I told her no, maybe one day I'll need the help of some sort and you can repay me that way  but not right now.  She felt relief over that.  She did get the rest of the money from her Aunt who lives here in TN also.

Anyways while my son was down visiting she called again.  We talked again, which I do miss talking to her and enjoy it every time she calls.  She needed to borrow money again, for the house she is living is was sold and she was being evicted.  Her car only drives in 2nd gear because the transmission is going, she has lost her job and has no place to go there.  I couldn't help her this time as far as money goes for we are having car problems ourselves and other things going on.  She told me about this church that helped her before, which she attends but can't get there now because of her car.  She called them and they said if she would come back to church by showing up a few Sundays and Wednesday then they might consider helping her.  I was surprised by that response.  But here's what the lesson says:

"What obligations do we have to those around us?  Aren't we required to do what we can to give them opportunities to hear the gospel so they can receive Christ?  Aren't we under compulsion to help meet their needs if it is within our power to do so?  Because we are in a covenant relationship with the Lord and He has blessed us so greatly, we are obligated to let others know of God's love for them through words and deeds.

David help Jonathan's son by giving him a place at his table to eat every day for the rest of his life and restored all that Saul owned in land and also had his own servants tend the land for him.  David wasn't concerned about Jonathan's son being lame.  Didn't even think twice about it.  You can read if for you self in 2 Samuel 9.

Here's another kindness:  God sent His Son to die for us. 

John 3:16-17 (NIV)  "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.."

Did God have to send his son to save us?  No but because he loves us, he showed this act of kindness to save us and gave up his only son for us.  He wasn't selective about who he was going to save.  It was for all, not certain ones.  Here is one of the many ways he responds to us.

Matthew 5:44-45 (NIV)  "But I tell you:  Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.  He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."

He shows his love to all for he wants all of us to know him and follow him.  He provides the needs for us by providing things on His planet that we need to survive.  So we are to be like Him.  It doesn't have to be money it could be resources.  Granted maybe that church didn't have the financial resources for my friend but they could of maybe provide other types of resource to get her on her feet like maybe someone in that church could help her fix her car so she can get a job or maybe someone can give her a job or something just to help her.  It isn't all about money.  It's about helping others with what we have as far as pointing the way to a resource or helping them if we have the abilities to fix, work, cook, whatever we can do to help.  Most importantly by showing the love of God in us to them and planting the seed so maybe they want to be like Christ who is love.


I like what Paul says in Romans.

Romans 1:14 (NIV) I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish.

We are obligated.  We are to help those in need with whatever ability God has given us.  As it states in our lesson:  "Kindness begins in the heart of God".  Can you show kindness just like God has shown you.  It is a great feeling when you do show kindness.  There is a lady on my mail route who had some kind of surgery.  Her husband discovered e-bay and lots of packages have been coming in for him. She can't bend over just yet so when I take the packages to the door, she is either there waiting with the door open or I ring the bell but either way I hand her the packages if they aren't heavy so she won't have to bend over for them.  She told me today that she will be able to got back to work at the end of the month.  She has been out of work for awhile and I'm happy that she is healing well.


Kindness is one of God's fruit of the Spirit:

Galatians 5:22-23a (NIV)  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Let's be kind to all who have needs even if it is something so simple.  It's a great reward.  God Bless.