What is Kindness

What is Kindness?

Some equate kindness with weakness. Others may think little acts of kindness are frivolous and unimportant. What is the spiritual fruit of kindness meant to be?

Our world is full of people who cut in line, insult those around them, don’t open doors for old ladies and people with groceries, laugh at others’ misfortunes and try to show their superiority by dragging others down.

Yet there are also many people who let others go ahead of them in line, compliment those around them, hurry to open doors for people, sympathize with others’ misfortune and show their humility and willingness to serve others.

It’s easy to pick out the people who are showing kindness!

Unfortunately, people who base their thinking on a “survival of the fittest” mentality may not see the rationale for true kindness. People like to receive it, but often don’t really see the benefit of being kind.

What does God say about kindness?

Kindness is listed as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22. According to the Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary, the Greek word translated kindness here is “the divine kindness out of which God acts toward humankind. It is what the [Old Testament] means when it declares that ‘God is good,’ as it so frequently does. Christians should show kindness by behaving toward others as God has behaved toward them.” It means “doing thoughtful deeds to others.”

Proverbs 20:28 describes qualities God wants in a leader: “Mercy and truth preserve the king, and by loving-kindness he upholds his throne” (emphasis added throughout).

Throughout the Bible, two other qualities are often associated with kindness: love and mercy. Peter wrote of adding love to “brotherly kindness” (2 Peter 1:7), while Paul wrote about putting on “tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering” (Colossians 3:13).

What is kindness? It is based on the mind-set described in Philippians 2:3-4: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”

Kindness is humbly giving of ourselves in love and mercy to others who may not be able to give anything back, who sometimes don’t deserve it, and who frequently don’t thank us for it. Basically, kindness means a way of thinking that leads to doing thoughtful deeds for others.

Kindness self-examination questionnaire

Does the kindness I show to others reflect God’s kindness to me? Examples?

Do I seek to gain from the kindness I show, or is it pure kindness? How do I know?

Do my kind acts have the components of mercy, love and compassion? How so?

When I am truly able, how much do I sacrifice for others instead of showing selfishness?

How do we demonstrate more kindness?

The various fruit of the Spirit blend well with one another (kindness involves love, long-suffering, self-control, etc.) for good reason: God is complete and balanced. Kindness is another area that keeps our spiritual attitudes and lives balanced. How do we show more of it?

Sometimes it’s the little things that count. Striving to show more of these tender mercies to others little by little will add up to a completely changed overall attitude—one formed by kindness. Some examples of ways to show kindness include:

Give true compliments (not flattery) to others to help brighten their day.

Interact with strangers instead of just walking by them or looking down at the ground (open doors for them, smile, say hello, help them carry something).

Sit and talk with people who clearly appear to not want to be by themselves.

Make room for kindness in your personality and daily schedules. This may mean changing routines, taking more time for other people and developing an attitude of giving. It won’t happen overnight, but the more you think about showing more kindness, the more your daily life will be impacted by that thinking.

Don’t squander opportunities for kindness. They often come around several times a day. If you are ready for them, then you can make the most of them. If you miss one, then strive to show kindness the next time that situation arises.

Kindness is not a selfish attempt to get something for ourselves. It is a show of mercy and love to other human beings with no thought of reward. May we all develop the same type of love and kindness God has for us.

Be Blessed and be a Blessing! Most of all – remember to be KIND!