A Loving and Patient Kind of Kind

Written by Ian Jannaway

Pastor Caleb continued the series on kindness commenting on how we give and receive kindness. He started the sermon with the clarion call

“You brood of vipers!” He got every ones attention! Of course this refers to John talking in Luke 3:7

7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Caleb posed the question, “Do we have a W.O.O. personality?” which stands for  Winning Others Over. John certainly wasn’t winning others over by his declaration. Perhaps that was his personality, others would have chosen a more kinder approach? We must be careful though how we use and show kindness, because some people will manipulate kindness for their own ends.

Kindness should be used towards others without the expectation of anything in return. You want them to get something out of the exchange, and in most cases they just don’t get it! We show kindness as Christians because that is what God did for us when we were still sinners.

John 3:11 says this,  11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

Do you get it? We do things, just because! Do we see the world around us displaying this kindness, as they try to progress their lives? Jesus did not do anything in expectation of an earthly reward. John expounds in Luke 3:7-9

7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 9 The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Wow that’s quite a firey message! And also good guidance for us today. We must produce good fruit when we interact with the world. We must leave people with hope after an interaction with us, and asking themselves, “why did they do that?”

Kindness was not given for the sake of kindness, but rather as something that would lead to repentance. God hoped that our repentance would lead us to kingdom living. Repentance means turning away from our old lives and back towards God. How do we change our hearts or lives? It is not by hatred or fear, but by love. Love is patient and love is kind. Paul talks about this in 1 Corinthians 13-

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.8 Love never fails. 

Fear and judgement never change lives, they harden hearts. Sometimes it is hard to be kind, it may cost us, but the source of our kindness is the well of our strength, based in Jesus Christ. Have we ever been frustrated by leading someone to a change of heart? The process may take years but we must stick with it, we must bear fruit.

Do you know someone in your life who benefits from a display of slow burning release of kindness? Stick with because that is where your ministry may be. It may cost you,

But it cost Jesus his earthly life, as his kindness towards us took on our sin as he died. Kindness and love towards others should be the bywords we live by.

W.O.O.!

Reflect in the comments below on a time when someone has used kindness to lead you to a change of heart/mind/life.