2026-08-21
Good morning, Dear Ones,
The Holy Spirit directs me to write a new subseries of His messages on GA 5: 22-23, the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Just to refresh our memories, this is, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility (gentleness), and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Today’s message will be on kindness. This subseries will continue with goodness and forgiveness follows it.
Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and caring toward others without expecting reward. It involves showing empathy, offering help, and treating people with genuine respect. For a closer look at what this definition means, one acts out of selflessness—genuine care for another person’s well-being rather than for personal gain. Empathy is understanding and connecting with how other people feel. A kind person acts, showing goodwill through helpful deeds, kind words, or a supportive presence. I was blessed to be married to the kindest person I’ve ever met for 44 years. God put Peter Johnson on loan to me for that long, and now he resides in heaven.
Sadly, kindness is learned behavior for most people. One wishes it could be innate, but the original sin [GN 3: 1-6] and any sin we add to it, gets in the way of kindness. All too often, kindness offered involves a personal agenda for the person giving it. Let’s look at God’s perspective. EPH 4: 32, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” PR 11: 17, “A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.” 1 COR 13: 4-7, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy; it does not boast. It is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrong. Love does not delight in evil but replaces with the truth. I always protect, always trust, always hope, always perseveres.”
When a person is genuinely kind, He shows God’s character. We must remember that when our Lord Jesus was getting ready to leave for heaven, He made this promise in JN 14: 16, “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever.” He was referring to the Holy Spirit. In verse 18, He adds, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” These words have a huge impact on believers in Jesus Christ. Later, we are reminded of how He makes us His friends by sharing all that God’s wisdom and teaching that he has learned [JN 15: 15-16]. We know from AC 2: 1-3, that Pentecost, the day the Father sent the Holy Spirit, happened. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit in each believer has huge implications and shows that the Father has forgiven our sins. The difference in my own life between the time before and the time after I pledged my faith and the Holy Spirit came to me is a huge contrast. It’s the same of everyone who faithfully obeys God and opens his heart to the Holy Spirit.
Kindness in speech is a trait of a person who is a true believer. PR 16: 24, “Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul.” EPH 4: 29 tells us to speak words that encourage, not defeat the listener. Kindness toward strangers and enemies. PR 21: 21, “Pursuing kindness leads to life and honor.” MT 5: 44-45a, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may children of your Father in heaven.” The latter is not easy to do. However, it is the right thing to do, and we must remember that everyone—believers and those who reject God alike—must give account of ourselves at the last judgment. Kindness in daily practice brings blessings, some unexpected. PHIL 2: 3-4 gives us a way to be like-minded with Christ. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.”
PRAYER: O Dearest Father, you have told us, in JN 15: 5, “I am the Vine and you are the branches. If you remain in Me, and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” We pledge You our desire to be kind to others and encourage them. We also ask for Your help, as we are unable to keep this pledge without You. We are often weak and give in to our emotions without taking the time to assess any good we can do or say. Help us to come against this temptation and we acknowledge Your kindness toward us. What greater kindness can there be than sacrificing Your only begotten Son on the cross, so that we can be saved? We utter this prayer in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: The Holy Spirit directs me to write about goodness next week. God loaned me Peter Johnson for 44 years in marriage. He was the kindest human I’ve ever encountered. He was an example of the type of person that all these Scriptures describe. Many good and kind people from my life are in heaven now. That is a goal for all of us who love the Lord Jesus to work toward. Remember, JN 3: 16, “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Our God deserves our love, praise, and thanksgiving forever and ever!
Grace be with You Always,
Lynn JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2026. All Rights Reserved.
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