Changing our Clothes

“Thanks again EBC for the ongoing gestures of love and kindness.” I’ve been pondering this little note left on our church prayer-site, on facebook. It is written by a widow who is moving away from us. I say, away from us, as in our/her church family. We are sad and delighted at the same time- such is the quality of our relationship. She is moving closer to her daughter, hence moving a few hundred kilometres away from us.

As I have been walking along through the month of September with kindness on my mind, I’ve considered the following: Christians should be the ones who consistently bear this fruit as an outpouring of our faith. Kindness produces a sweet harvest, and the Holy Spirit is aching to bear this fruit in your life and in mine.

I love how the apostle Paul speaks about kindness as an item of clothing for us to wear:

“And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.”

(Colossians 3:12,13)

Earlier in Colossians, he speaks about putting to death:

'immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed which amounts to idolatry."

(Col. 3: 5)

and goes on to say:

"put off: anger, wrath, malice, slander, abusive speech from your mouth.”

(Col. 3: 8)

Some of us change our clothes several times a day; some of us only do it once. Regardless, as we get dressed, we can be reminded of our spiritual clothing. We would do well to consider “putting on” kindness and “discarding” sexual impurity and greed, as seen in verse five and character-destroying conversation, as seen in verse eight.

Could someone say to you today: “Thank you for your ongoing acts of love and kindness?” We can lavish this fruit of the Spirit on those around us, pointing them to the Saviour; to Jesus who poured out His kindness by shedding His blood, bearing our sins on the cross. And, as seen in my friend’s short note to the church, it must be demonstrated to fellow believers as well as to the world at large.

It may cost us, this kindness. Maybe we think a little too highly of ourselves; maybe we consider that rich neighbour as snobby and therefore we couldn't be bothered showing a kindness to them.  Or maybe we are called to reach out to someone who we think is unlovely-someone who doesn’t smell too good, someone who does not have a change of clothes. Go ahead, give them the shirt off your back; demonstrate true kindness. After all, I am so sure you have another shirt at home and the kindness given is the perfect shirt to give away.

Nothing random about being kind

It happened not that long ago; a demonstration of kindness shown to my Mom that touched me deeply. Perhaps the bearer of this kindness didn’t realize what their simple gesture meant, but for me, it was keenly felt. Sitting alone for a few minutes, my Mom was watching some of the children playing, after the evening service. A lady deliberately walked over, from the other side of the room, sat down beside her, and chatted with her for a few minutes. “Just lovely,” I thought to myself!

If you have been the recipient of kindness, you no doubt recognize that sweet sense of having been touched by something greater than us. Perhaps you have even asked yourself: “Why me? What have I done to deserve this?” And there may not be an answer; it is more often the fact that you have done nothing at all to deserve it; that it is, in fact, greater than us. The fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22 implies a harvest, and kindness is a sweet and sadly underrated fruit in our day-to-day lives. Is it any wonder that we are deeply moved when someone meets a real need, in God’s way and in His timing?

Strong’s Concordance states it this way:

“Kindness: well-fit for use, serviceable, beneficial, benevolent.”

By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are both called and equipped to meet a real need; to give that which is both beneficial and benevolent. This implies an understanding of a given situation. It means getting to know one another, in a church family, so that we can truly provide for one another. There are wonderful implications for kindness being shown to those who don’t know Christ; looking for ways to serve others in our community. The “Random-Acts-of-Kindness” movement has, no doubt, benefited many, but as a Christian, there should be nothing random about being kind.

I love the way King Lemuel’s mother speaks, in Proverbs 31:26:

   “She, (an excellent wife), opens her mouth in wisdom, 

and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.” 

I am struck by the juxtaposition of wisdom and kindness in this text, and while it is about a wife, it can be extrapolated for all of us. It is a powerful statement, really. Speaking wisely will mean demonstrating kindness more than selfishness; meeting needs rather than whining about wants; looking for concrete ways to serve rather than digging for useless information in order to criticize. Showing kindness means taking deliberate, concrete action for the betterment of someone else. Its opposite, cruelty, has a sly way of maliciously speaking about someone or it manifests itself in the withholding of love in your marriage or an “I’ll-make-them-pay” attitude toward someone who has grieved you. You will find neither wisdom nor kindness with cruelty on the tongue.

But in the Saviour's wise voice, we hear words of kindness~ beneficial and benevolent, useful and serviceable:

  "I am the good shepherd; 

the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." 

(John 10:11)

"My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me; and I give eternal life 

to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. 

 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; 

and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 

 I and the Father are one." 

(John 10: 27-30) 

Ah, there you have it. For those who know Christ, we are caught in His capable, nail-scarred hands and He and our heavenly Father shall never let us go.

Kindness, indeed!