Kindness

1 John 3:16-20

16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?

18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. 20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.

John was admitted into the emergency room and placed on the cardiac floor. He was unshaven, dirty, dangerously obese, and wore a black motorcycle jacket.  The nurses at the station looked wide-eyed as this mound of humanity was wheeled by, each glancing nervously at Bonnie, the head nurse. “Let this one not be mine to admit, bathe and tend to…” was their pleading, unspoken message.  One of the true marks of a follower of Christ , is to do the unthinkable. To tackle the impossible. To touch the untouchable. It was Bonnie who said, “I want this patient myself.”

As she put on her latex gloves and proceeded to bathe this huge, very unclean man, her heart almost broke. Where was his family? Who was his mother? What was he like as a little boy? She hummed quietly as she worked. It seemed to ease the fear and embarrassment she knew he must have been feeling.  And then on a whim she said, “We don’t have time for back rubs much in hospitals these days, but I bet one would really feel good. And it would help you to relax your muscles and start to heal. That is what this place is all about…a place to heal.”  The thick, scaly, ruddy skin told a story of an abusive lifestyle: probably lots of addictive behavior with food and other things. As she rubbed those tense muscles, she hummed and prayed. Prayed for the soul of a little boy grown up, rejected by life’s rudeness and striving for acceptance in a hard, hostile world.  As John rolled over onto his back, tears ran down his cheeks and his chin trembled. With amazingly beautiful brown eyes, he smiled and said in a quivering voice, “No one has touched me for years. Thank you. I am healing.”

I don’t know if Bonnie is a follower of Christ – but Bonnie did the unthinkable, touched the untouchable,  and tackled the impossible. Bonnie had shown kindness.

Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit. It is something that God can produce in us as we follow Him. You can’t manufacture kindness. You are not born with kindness. Kindness is not natural. It is something only God can produce in you. You can be kind to someone without loving them and similarly you can love someone without (always) being kind to them. If you don’t think this is true just watch children.

How does God produce kindness in us? It starts with you putting your confidence in the One who demonstrated His kindness by allowing His only Son to take the wrath that you deserve.

Look at what the scriptures say: (this is by far not an exhaustive list)

Romans 3

23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.

Romans 11

5 It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel[a] have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them. 6 And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.

Romans 11

22 Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off.

God demonstrated His kindness to us by giving up His life.  He just didn’t say kind words that made everybody feel good about themselves.

He did the unthinkable by dying on the cross.

He touched the untouchable.  People with diseases and were considered.

He tackled the impossible.  He saved the world.

He then tells us to go show kindness to others.  Why? Because through our acts of kindness – God’s love is made visible!

He tells us to do the unthinkable for others.

He tells us to touch the untouchable.

He tells us to tackle the impossible for others.

Kindness is a self-less action that cost you something to make God visible to others.

Christians don’t  have a great reputation of showing kindness to others or to each other. We are notorious for shooting our wounded. We would rather talk about being kind. Talk about what needs to be done instead of picking up our cross and showing kindness to someone who does or doesn’t deserve it. We do a lot of talking and praying but not a whole lot of acting out of kindness.

Christians are kind to others. But showing kindness is a whole different story. (do you hear the difference). We are kind to others with our words but we do nothing. Kindness is doing something for someone that cost you something.

Kindness  is an ability to serve others practically in a way which makes me vulnerable, which comes from having a deep inner security (confidence in God). It is sincere vulnerability that involves empathy, compassion, and help.

I know of lot of kind Christians.  But there are not as many Christians who serve others practically in a way that makes them vulnerable.  Do you see the difference yet?

John points it out in verse 18 and 19

18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.

Kindness is showing the truth by our actions.

Kindness is an action that could change someone’s life.

Sometimes as a pastor you get to see the fruit of your labor. A young man (who was in my youth group years ago) messaged me a while ago on Facebook telling me that the breakfast we had at the  Perkins restaurant  when was 17 years old turned his life around.  I couldn’t  remember what I said. He said it wasn’t about what you said – it was about you taking me seriously as a young man seeking after God. In this words he said, “I was about to give up on my relationship with God and you told me it was worth fighting for.”

Kindness (not me) changed  this young man’s life.

Like Jesus we are called to do the unthinkable.

Like Jesus we are called to touch the untouchable

Like Jesus we are called to tackle the impossible.

Your kindness could quite possibly change someone’s life.

Our scripture today from I John points out that Jesus was kind to us. He did the unthinkable. He made himself completely vulnerable. He did something practical that served mankind. He gave up his life for us.

Kindness is an action where you are willing to be inconvenienced for the sake of someone else experiencing a blessing.

• Its an unthinkable act you do for them.
• It serves some somebody else other than you.
• It helps someone else tackle the impossible in their life.

How do you get this kindness? You get kindness by putting your confidence in the One who has shown kindness to you.

In other words, remember His kindness towards you. Now … pay it forward.

Watch this clip and you will get what I mean. (PAY IT FORWARD MOVIE CLIP).

God wants us to pay it forward. Pay what forward?-  KINDNESS.

Now, stop and think of his kindness towards you.

Look at your home, your car, your clothes, and every nice thing you have. God has been kind to you. Look at these pews, this carpet, central air, our two vans.  God has been  kind to us.

There is also counterfeit kindness. The kind of kindness that can be manufactured.

Counterfeit kindness is manipulative good deeds, doing good for others so I can congratulate myself and feel I am “good enough” for others or for God.

The Pharisees were kind people. But Jesus called them whitewashed tombs. He called them a brood of vipers. Their kind deeds were done to manipulate and congratulate and make themselves look good enough for others and God.  They prayed in public for show.  They did all of their kind acts in public for people to notice. Why? Because they wanted people to see that they were good.

There are many kind Christians who won’t do the unthinkable.

There are many kind Christians who won’t touch the untouchable.

There are many kind Christians who won’t tackle the impossible.

This particular video demonstrates the attitude of many believers. (M&M VIDEO)

Many says they will anything for God but I won’t do that or that or that or this.

Being kind and saying kind words does not make someone a follower of Christ but a follower of Christ needs to be kind and say kind words. It is not something we have to do – it is something we need to do.

Aren’t you glad Jesus didn’t say “I won’t do that or that or that or that”.  Jesus paid it forward.

Will you pay it forward?

Will you think about how  you could do the unthinkable to that transform someone’s life?

Will you think about ways to touch the untouchable. Touch the lives of people who no body else cares about?

Will  you think about ways to take on the impossible?

Dear First Church of God in Marion, IN  let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.