Kindness – The Fruit of Love

1 Corinthians 13:4 – “Charity suffereth long, and is kind….”

We read that the Lord Jesus “went about doing good.” He was kindness personified, for He was full of the Holy Spirit. When the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, we too will want to walk even as He walked (1 John 2:6), and spend our lives ministering to others.

Everyone can perform some deed of kindness every day. A pleasant greeting, an expression of sympathy, or a good book passed along will rejoice another’s heart. A luncheon shared, an errand done, or a word of affection and encouragement are things within the power of almost everyone. Larger opportunities may not come our way, but such small ones are always at hand.

An Arab was the chauffeur for a lady traveling in Palestine. Noticing a Jew with car trouble, he stopped to aid him, but soon realized that he did not have the parts necessary to make the repairs. He therefore invited the man to ride in the cab to the city where he could get help. After he left the Jew at a garage, the lady expressed her surprise at the kind of treatment the driver had given his supposed enemy. “I didn’t know that Arabs were so friendly with Jews!” The chauffeur replied with a joyous smile, “Things like that don’t make any difference to me since I’ve been converted to Christ”. The Lord wants us to be kind to every person (Eph. 4:32).

Those who have become identified with the Savior should be so filled with His grace and mercy that they constantly overflow with compassion and consideration for others. One of the precious fruits of Gold’s love is kindness.