So far I have written about patience, the foundation of Christ-like nature. Yet there is so much more to showing love to others still.
Love is. . . Kind
Kindness... Also a fruit of the spirit. I find it really amusing that most of the fruits of the spirit and aspects of love are the same or similar. Though it makes sense that since God is love that when we cultivate the fruits of the spirit love for others can come naturally.
The definition of kind is,
Of a friendly, generous, or warm-hearted nature. Showing sympathy or understanding; charitable. Humane; considerate. Forbearing; tolerant. Generous; liberal. Agreeable; beneficial.
Who knew that a small four letter word could mean so much? There must be a lot to being a "kind person" in the eyes of others and of God.
I cannot help but feel convicted as I study love. I have not even gotten very far yet and I already keep asking myself, "am I a patient and kind person?" I am not sure if I can consider myself that highly. I think the main thing is that when I look at these things I can think of myself as Kind or Patient etc. at certain times or to certain people...Sure, that's better than not showing it anytime yet still this is far from being good enough for me or for God. I cannot help but wonder what my life would be like if God loved only a few people or loved us only at certain times.
"For God so loved the world...When He was in a good mood and they were behaving..."
That does not really sound like God's love to me. It does sound like my love towards others if I were to be blunt about it. Loving people when it is convenient for myself sounds ridiculous yet that is how I seem to live my life. I am a firm believer that without Christ in me I cannot love people in the right, pure, and unwavering way that I hope to. Apart from Him I am nothing, I am a horrible, sinful person and a rebellious child.
So to love people in this aspect we should be generous with anything and everything we own. If someone needs something we have then they should have it soon. When we meet people we should be friendly toward them, and then always be friendly from that point onward. We should be friendly to people we know and to people we do not know, for some one is harder than the other. When I think of being kind as in warm-hearted I think of hospitality. I had to learn a lot about hospitality in the past year, and it is important especially for women to have. You make people feel comfortable when you are with them and when then are in your home. You are welcoming to everyone and make them feel like your own and make them feel special.
When someone you know is feeling hurt, you hurt with them. We sympathize with people and try our best to understand them. You are always open to hear what is on their mind and you put others as your top priority over your time and the things that you want. You treat all people with respect and equally. You constantly think of others feelings and how they are doing and if they are not doing well then you try to cheer them up. Another thing is that you always make sure that your existence is beneficial to others and is improving their lives. It does not matter if they hurt you, you are going to be kind in return.
So if you want to be loving you not only have to die to yourself in patience but also in kindness. This is not being "fake" and pretending that you are a "nice person", this is being a genuinely kind person always and to everyone. Do not think you are faking it when you are really trying hard to be kind. It is going to take the grace of God and perseverance to become a loving person for everyone. The Enemy may lie and tell you that you are just faking it and not really loving people and that it is your selfish motive and that you are being a phony and that it is impossible to love. God does not give us more than we can handle with His grace and Spirit within us. And we are told to love people, so therefore it must be possible. This is hard work and I know this because I am trying to work at this as well. I am trying my best, through Christ, to be loving and there are times that I screw it up and there are times where I do not feel like it but I do it anyways because no matter what my feelings are I am still to love others as He first loved me.
So let us all try to be patient and kind this time. It already sounds improbable to me and there are over ten more things that apply to true love. Being that kind of kind person is the ideal me and I am going to pursue it so that I may show others the love of God and reflect Him the best I can with my small light that points to The Light of the world.
Keeping the faith,
C.A.M.
Photo Credit: http://www.livebyladybugs.com/2011/07/is-love-really-“ain’t-enough”/
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