Hello friends and family of Village Bible Church,
As I write today, the weather is changing; spring has sprung and summer approaches! With warm weather now upon us, it seems like there is a never ending list of things to do! The garden needs weeding, the yard needs mowing, and the list of to-do’s goes on and on.
Yet it’s not just warm weather that can make our life busy. Jobs, family, and hobbies can keep us busy also. With so much to do, the temptation can often be to put our nose to the grindstone, ignore everyone around us, and get our stuff done! Well, at least that is sometimes my temptation! Yet, the bible calls us to “do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:10).
This week, I was reminded of just how important showing kindness can be. Today, I hope to encourage and challenge you, just as I was this week.
A Biblical Case for Kindness
The bible does not leave us wondering what God has to say regarding kindness. A quick search shows that variations of the word “kindness” appear more than 300 times in scripture! And what does the Bible say on this topic? Here are just a few verses that deal with how we treat others:
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 ESV
“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.” Luke 6:35 ESV
“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience”. Colossians 3:12 ESV
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness”. Galatians 5:22 ESV
Scripture provides no wiggle room to justify being unkind to anyone, even if we think we think we’re too busy to do so. Whether to enemies, strangers, family, or fellow Christians, scripture gives us a clear call to kindness/
I was reminded of this at work this week. Many of you know that in addition to serving as an elder here at Village Bible Church, I also work full time for a public health organization, in the IT department. Sometimes work deadlines can make life hectic and busy! Yet, this week, the Lord reminded me of the importance of slowing down, displaying kindness to others, and watching how God moves:
With a work deadline looming over my head, a co-worker called me, and I was tempted to be short with them because I was “busy”, but then Lord convicted me of my wrong attitude. Instead, I showed kindness and helped my co-worker, and then was blessed to learn that my co-worker had recently started reading their bible and wanted to talk about what they were reading! A door was opened that would have otherwise remained closed if I had not been kind.
Afterwards, I was humbled to think how different that conversation would have been, if I’d been short with them because I was “busy”. Don’t let yourself ever become too busy to show kindness!
Brothers and sisters, may we consider carefully each opportunity we have to show Christ-centered kindness to those around us - a single act of kindness may open doors to share the Gospel or even disciple others in need.
Lord willing, I look forward to gathering with you this Sunday. See you then!
In Christ,
Jon Collins, pastor
You can reach the elders anytime by email, call, or text at:
Jon Collins, jcollins@thevillagemi.com, (810) 869-3949
John White, jwhite@thevillagemi.com, (810) 275-4267