Friday, April 12, 2024

GOODNESS AND KINDNESS- FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT

Galatians 5:22; Philemon 12-18

Exposition

As a result of more people being impatient, having short fuses, and everyone always being in a hurry, many people have lost the ability to treat others with kindness and respect. A kind word or action exhibited toward another person can do wonders for them. When you study the life of Jesus in the New Testament, you can tell how kind He always was with other people in His dealings with them. Jesus is, without question, the ultimate role model for all of us who want to fully walk and operate in the fruit of the Spirit.

Morel, a theologian from Ireland, defines Kindness as “Goodness in action, the sweetness of disposition, gentleness in dealing with others, affability, love for mankind, hospitality, readiness to help, human friendship, benevolence, taking thought of others.” As you can see from the above definition, kindness is a very valuable quality to have in your soul and personality by the Holy Spirit. Not only will you be able to touch others with this godly quality, but you will also be able to touch yourself, because you will feel so much better about yourself if you can learn how to treat others with much more kindness and respect in your daily dealings and affairs with them.

The Bible says that it is the goodness of God that will lead sinners to repentance and salvation. The quality of goodness is another real powerful virtue to have operating through you. This particular virtue has a real drawing power to it. Not only does the goodness of God draw people directly to Him, but this fruit of goodness operating in a believer can also draw people directly to God through the actual believer. Many people who have been saved through an individual believer say that what drew them was the love and goodness they saw shining through that believer.

Jesus says that we are to carry His light and let that light shine before men and not attempt to hide it. Part of His light is the fruit of the Spirit shining through an anointed believer. There is something extra special about the quality of goodness. Many Christians can effectively witness to others by just living right and being a good example and role model for others to follow. Many non-believers carefully watch and study some Christians because they know there is something different about them. One of the key qualities a non-believer will pick up in a Christian is this quality of goodness. This quality can get down deep into the core of a believer’s personality. To those who have this quality, you can tell that it is something operating deep down inside of them.

As a result of seeing this God-like goodness deeply ingrained into their personalities, there is an immediate drawing towards them. You feel safe being around them because you know you can trust them, and you know they will never deliberately hurt you. Children are quick to sense and pick up on this quality in people who have it. These types of Christians draw children and adults to them like magnets. If the goodness of God will lead people to repentance and salvation with Him – then the goodness of God operating through an anointed believer will have the ability to draw non-believers into salvation. And the goodness of God can be transmitted and worked up into your personality through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer Guide: Lord, help me to exhibit the virtues of goodness and kindness in my daily walk.

Memory Verse For This Week: Romans 8:9 (NKJV) – But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

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