Fruit of the Spirit - Kindness

<p>Good morning, Five Minute Families! Compassion - the concern for others - calls us to offer ourselves up for someone in need. Acts of compassion require the attitude of kindness. And God provides the fruit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.</p><p>We’ve been diving into the fruit of the spirit, in reverse order from the list in Galatians 5, and we are today touching on kindness. Last week we defined goodness as ‘the actions which are taken to improve the health, happiness, or well-being of others.’ Goodness involves a level of righteousness and right-ness in our choices and behaviors. For example, if we have a loved one to whom we must speak the truth in love - which may seem unkind - it is still good to give them the truth and possibly hold them accountable for their actions.</p><p>One author points out how both goodness and kindness come from compassionate hearts, yet while goodness is an action of righteousness that involves integrity and honesty, kindness can best be defined as ‘our true, internal desire for the health, happiness, or well-being of others.’ Some of us will do good, but we are not kind. That is not to say that as Christ-followers we do not have the capacity for kindness. It just means that we have not allowed the Holy Spirit to cultivate the attribute of kindness within us. </p><p>Of course, some people are simply kind. You meet them and you can sense kindness from them. You feel safe to ask for help; you feel genuinely comfortable in their presence. My favorite book is Pride and Prejudice. The eldest daughter is Jane. Her sister Elizabeth says to her, “You never see a fault in anybody. All the world are good and agreeable in your eyes. I never heard you speak ill of a human being in your life." And Jane replies, “I would not wish to be hasty in [criticizing] anyone; but I always speak what I think." Part of Elizabeth’s answer concludes, “I know you do…[the ability] to take the good of everybody's character and make it still better, an