Love Is Kind

This is the second blog in this series on love according to 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
 
True kindness comes from mercy. Just as God displays His kindness toward us out of His great mercy for us, we need to be merciful to be kind to others. However, if we aren’t continually receiving God’s mercy for ourselves, our hearts will not be merciful to others. We can’t convey true kindness without having a merciful heart.

Colossians 3:12 says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
 
We can’t put on something that we don’t have. If we don’t believe we are made holy by Jesus, and unconditionally loved by God, then we won’t be able to put on any of these characteristics of love. If we are constantly thinking God is disappointed in us, we won’t be able to move forward in allowing Him to work in us. We may show acts of kindness toward others, but we won’t be able to truly feel mercy for them when we’re not being merciful with ourselves.

We need to look at ourselves as God sees us. When God looks at us, He sees HIS perfection in us. He sees what His power working in us can accomplish. Philippians 1:6 says, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” And Psalm 138:8 says, “The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Your loving kindness, O LORD, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” (NASB)

If God sees us as patient, kind, and loving already, then it should encourage and motivate us to live up to that. We too often think about what a wretched sinner we are, when we should be thinking that we’re God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.
 
When I’m always thinking about how bad I am, I find myself falling into sin because I’m so down on myself that I am easily led astray. I unconsciously live up to what I think about myself. I am a sinner so I live to that.

But when we see ourselves as God sees us, we will want to live up to it. It motivates us to live holy lives because we don’t have that constant feeling of failure. Galatians 5:13 says, “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”

We don’t ever have to worry if we’re doing enough to please God. God has set us free because of His great mercy and love for us, so that we can show mercy and love for others.

Does this mean we should never feel sorrow for our sins? No, we are to confess and repent when we purposely do something wrong (1 John 1:9). But when God is working with us in an area, we don’t need to beat ourselves up every time we fall. When my baby was learning how to walk, I didn’t yell at him every time he fell. I just lifted him back up and encouraged him to keep trying. This is how God is with us. He doesn’t get mad at us whenever we fall. He lifts us back up and encourages and helps us to learn to walk in His Spirit.

Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord grasps his hand in support and upholds him. Psalm 37:24 AMP

We can look at the woman in Luke 7:37-38 who wet Jesus’ feet with her tears because of her sinful life. In verse 50, Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” She didn’t continue to cling to His feet, nor did she run back to Him in tears every time she slipped up after that. She went away in peace that day knowing she was completely forgiven for her past, present, and future sins.
 
Verse 47 says, “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven–for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.” Only once we begin to grasp how much we have been forgiven for, will we be able to love others greatly. Once we realize how many times we have offended God and turned our hearts away from Him, we will have no excuse but to show mercy to others.

Our world needs to see true merciful kindness. There are not many people who are truly merciful, including, sadly, many Christians. You can’t dare make one mistake or say anything wrong or people will cut you off and turn their back on you. Or, better yet, when you actually do what is right, people will hate you even more because your loving-kindness convicts them of their own wrong doing. You can’t win either way with people.

Thank God that He’s not that way with us. He never gives up on us. He’s always merciful and kind to us. Isaiah 30:18 says, “Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion….”

We need to follow His example by being merciful and kind to everyone, including ourselves.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32

Amanda Daubenmeyer is a wife and mother of four children, and author of an upcoming book titled: YOU CAN HAVE A HAPPY FAMILY Steps to Enjoying Your Marriage and Children. She has been married for 14 years and has experienced transformation in her life and marriage since she surrendered her heart to Christ ten years ago. http://www.amandadaubenmeyer.com/

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