The Fruit of the Spirit is Kindness
Scripture Reading — Isaiah 63:7-9
“I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us. . . .”
Kindness can be described as a friendly, generous, considerate disposition toward others. But, sadly, this trait can be elusive in our everyday world—especially where there is a lot of competition. When we look for kindness in our world, we can find it, but we also tend to find a lot of unkindness.
Isaiah tells about the kindnesses of God and all that the Lord has done for us. Already in the garden of Eden we see the kindness of God to our first parents. God had warned Adam and Eve of the dire consequences of disobeying his command. When they disobeyed anyway, they became aware of their guilt and were afraid. But God displayed at least two great acts of kindness. First, instead of bringing about the punishment of death right away, God promised to send his Son to take on the ultimate punishment for sin. Second, God took care of Adam and Eve’s immediate needs and gave them clothes to wear. From that time forward, God’s kindness has been on display as he points to his Son, Jesus, the Savior, as the way of forgiveness, restoration, and full life forever.
Kind God, move us to see your kindness today, and guide us to find ways to reflect your kindness to others as we forgive those who wrong us and seek to lead them to your wholeness. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.
About the author — George Koopmans
George Koopmans has served as an ecumenical chaplain at Medicine Hat College in Medicine Hat, Alberta, since November 2021. Prior to entering into chaplaincy, George served as a pastor to two congregations—one in Minnesota (Luverne), and the other in Medicine Hat. George and his wife, Emily, have four adult daughters and three grandchildren. Hiking, biking, and birdwatching are his favorite hobbies.
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