Have I told you lately that God is... kind?
One more reason to worship.
Have you spoken to anyone lately about the kindness of God?
Sometimes vocalising my experience of God’s kindness momentarily surprises people— even myself. Many are familiar with the phrase “God is good”. I agree that the foundational truth of this statement cannot be emphasised enough, but I suspect the notion of God’s goodness is one of the most effused yet least comprehended aspect of His nature.
Speaking boldly of God’s kindness humanises God. He becomes (to the hearer) more relational and personal, less distant and elusive. Goodness on the level of divine holiness can seem incomprehensible to our modern minds, minds regularly assaulted with the ugly truth about ourselves and the world we inhabit. But kindness is different. We understand the language of kindness. We identify with it. We embrace it.
Kindness is a universal virtue celebrated by the masses; emblazoned across t-shirts, printed on mugs, and taught to children in schools throughout the land as the pinnacle of social graces.
We often see ‘Be Kind!’, ‘Kindness is Cool!’, or with the added prefix; ‘JUST Be Kind!’. Always with an exclamation point to highlight the immediacy of this cultural command. But do we realise what we are actually saying? It's nothing less than the age old adage to ‘Be like Jesus’, ‘Imitate Christ’, 'Be like God’.
God is kind.
‘But the fruit of the Spirit is…kindness…..’ (Galatians 5:22 CSB)
‘But the Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him. He granted him favor with the prison warden.’ ( Genesis 39:21 CSB)
‘Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?’ (Romans 2:4 CSB)
For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.’ (Titus 3:3-5 CSB)
The Holy Spirit of God produces the fruit of kindness in our lives as believers. This is the branch of kindness with bells on. It is a kindness that strengthens us in the weariness of daily battles. A kindness which leads us back down the long hard road of repentance— turning our back on the toxic love of self, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, and back to our calling to image God, glorify Him and enjoy Him forever.
God’s kindness washes and regenerates us. It renews our hearts and our minds. It is realised through daily saving graces, moments of unmerited beauty, and relief from our long obedience in the same direction journey of faith.
God incarnate in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ is kindness. Salvation by grace through faith and not by striving is kindness. The times when we can feel the warmth of God’s presence is kindness. When we don’t sense Him near at all yet we believe anyway, and rely on the love He has for us is kindness.
Romans 11 speaks of the severity and kindness of God working side by side, accomplishing His purposes. There are times when severity in our lives (metaphorical pruning seasons, loss, grief, disappointment, rejection, sadness, loneliness) is a manifestation of His kindness. There are things we would never understand, grow in, learn or do were it not for some severity present in our lives.
Kindness is not primarily about being nice. Being nice is neither here nor there in terms of moral goodness. What is deemed to be the nice thing to do in any given situation can fluctuate wildly according to the proclivity of the times.
I am in a long, testing season of trusting in the kindness of God. I am training my eyes to see the fingerprints of His kindness in my life. I have been acknowledging and documenting small kindnesses (approx 3 per day); sweet words of wisdom and joy from my youngest child, unexpected encouragement from a friend via text, the beauty of my garden returning to life as Spring awakens yet again. Once this practice starts, it is hard to stop. Evidence of God’s kindness is hidden in plain sight.
Nobody can ‘out-kind’ God, nobody loves like He does, nobody extends kindness further than Him.
‘He also raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavens in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might display the immeasurable riches of his grace through his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—’ ( Ephesians 2:6-8 CSB)
When those answers to prayer finally arrive, when the puzzle pieces fall into place and clarity shines, when the longed for answer is ‘yes’ and a dream is fulfilled…the reason is not our strong faith, our tenacity or our holy lifestyle..the reason is the kindness of God.
Also, when the road is hard and our feet are blistered, when what we thought should happen didn’t, when all we can do is cling to God and His word…the answer is God’s kindness. Hear this blessing resounding over us; ‘Blessed are those who have not seen yet have believed’. He who calls us is faithful; He will do it ( 1 Thessalonians 5:24). It may not look like we think, but He will do it, and it will be drenched in His kindness.
Let’s determine to acknowledge, document, and speak of the Lord’s kindness to those around us as much as possible. Especially with those who know nothing of the origin of kindness itself. He has promised that all who call on the name of Jesus will be saved (Romans 10:13). And there is nothing kinder than that.