The Virtue of Kindness

 

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.  But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:1-10 ESV).

 

Sometimes we use the words kind and nice interchangeably; however, kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate, expressed through voluntary acts of care, empathy, and support without expecting anything in return. It involves a genuine concern for the welfare of others, leading to actions like offering a helping hand, listening intently, providing comfort, or showing compassion. Kindness is more than just being nice; it's an intentional, voluntary behavior that embodies compassion and respect for others as valuable individuals.

 

Unfortunately for many, the word nice simply means that something is pleasant. But in the Scripture, the Greek word chrestotes, translated as “kindness,” goes deeper. It refers to making ourselves useful or beneficial to others, and sometimes that is not pleasant.

 

In our reading today we read some amazing things about the grace of God. By God’s grace we receive the free gift of salvation from our sins. The gift is free, and yet we sometimes forget that it changes us. Grace gets results. Grace is useful, beneficial, and kind.

 

Grace is useful because it changes us. It lifts us up. It seats us on a heavenly throne with Christ Jesus—we become minor rulers serving the King of kings! But don’t forget that kings have responsibilities. Our royal responsibilities include showing the grace of God to everyone, everywhere. We do that by living out the good works that the King of kings has prepared for us to do. And when we do those good works, we become useful (kind) to the world, which in turn can better understand the grace of God expressed through the kindness of Christ Jesus to us. Be kind as He has been kind!

 

The Virtue of Love

 

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:7-12 ESV).

 

This might be the most powerful paragraph ever written. With all the volumes written about love, even with all the Scriptures that talk about love, this is the only place where God wrote down his definition of love for all to see. Love is not simply a feeling, or an action, or even a commitment—although all of those things are involved. Love is beyond words and has been communicated most clearly through the Father’s will and the Son’s sacrifice—when Jesus died on a cross so that our relationship with God could be restored.

 

No matter how we view love, God’s love is always more. From the perspective of the Father, he sacrificed what was dearest to him for the sake of those who needed him more. From the Son’s perspective, he sacrificed himself so that we could be restored to the Father. And from our perspective, to the extent that we can see it honestly, we were lost and without a hope in the world. Because of our sin, we were headed for destruction with no way to save ourselves. So, God “sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Why? Because he loves us.

 

And in the light of that love, there is more: “If we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” That is our great calling. I wonder if we thought about that truth every time we were ready to press “send” or “publish” … would we? I wonder if that were the overarching motivation for all that we do… would it make a difference? It should!

 

The Virtue of Empathy

 

We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:12-24 ESV).

 

The Greeks had a word for “encouragement” that was quite similar to our understanding of empathy. It came from the idea of being with someone in their story. That’s the word Paul uses here for helping the disheartened. Disheartened peo­ple are basically those who have lost some of their hope.

 

In our reading for today, Paul urges us to be our best selves for everyone we encounter. Some people find that easier to do than others do. People who are disheartened can be a bit difficult to spend time with. The emotions of others tend to affect us, so we might prefer to be with people who have happiness and excitement to share. But Paul points out that to be truly Christlike, we also need to give our time to those who are struggling.

 

It’s interesting that Paul also goes on to tell us to “rejoice always” (v. 16). Entering into a disheartening story should not dishearten us. It might make us sad or angry, but it shouldn’t cause us to lose hope.

 

With hope we retain joy despite the sadness or anger we may feel with a disheartened friend, because we know that the disheartening things of this world do not have the final say. And we can bring that hope and joy into the other person’s story, doing so in a way that shows they are not alone. With that simple action, we can help to change their story by being a part of it.

 

The Virtue of Hospitality

 

Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. (Hebrews 13:1-3 ESV).

 

Today we look at the virtue of hospitality, which is often misunderstood. It is the practice of being genuinely generous, open, and welcoming to guests, strangers, and those in need, extending beyond mere comfort to include attentiveness to their emotional and spiritual well-being. It is a spiritual practice rooted in love, kindness, and a recognition of shared humanity, fostering community and reflecting God's own grace and mercy. Key aspects include letting go of self-preoccupation, embracing vulnerability, and showing genuine interest in others to foster their own well-being and discover new perspectives. 

 

When this passage in Hebrews was written, people were expected to show generous hospitality to travelers who might have nowhere else to stay as they went from town to town. It wasn’t as if people could hop on one of the many booking sites and find a room for the night! So, the writer of this letter uges believers in God to show love and care for one another as well for others who may be in need, such as strangers, travelers, and people in prison. This advice echoes the words of Jesus in Matthew 25, where he teaches that caring for the needs of others is like doing the same for him.

 

This passage in Hebrews also invites us to consider that a stranger or visitor we encounter might be an angel—that is, a messenger from God (cf. Genesis 18). The point is that we should treat anyone we meet as being so valuable and worthy of our time that they might be sent from God, and that showing love and care to them would be like doing the same for the Lord himself. This can be hard to imagine, especially if hospitality is not common in our culture and we need to be wary of danger. But here the Spirit of God is challenging us simply to treat others well, showing love and kindness to everyone, no matter who they are. In other words, we are called to love and care for others just as the Lord has done for us.

 

I wonder what our world would look like if we actually did that!

 

Growing in Self-Control

 

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11-14 ESV).

 

Self-control is certainly a virtue worth exploring. If you have been following Morning Devotionals recently you know Mary and I have recently returned from the Smokies. The cabin we stayed in was very near a Krispy Kreme donut store. The nearly impossible task of driving by without stopping for a dozen donuts when the red sign was lit was certainly more of a challenge than we could resist. Of course, our favorite donut establishment is the Donut Friar in the Village at Gatlinburg, but fresh, warm donuts from Krispy Kreme are a close second. And my sweet tooth often wins that battle!

 

Well, the Scripture has a lot to say about self-control. In our reading today self-control literally means “having a sound mind, or being reasonable.” It is basically the opposite of living in confusion, ignorance, or indifference about making choices that support healthy living.

 

God’s grace saves us from ungodliness (literally, “an unworshipful life”) and from being a slave to the world’s ideas of what we need or want. We are not born with the ability to just say “no”—at least not on a regular basis and not without something else to say “yes” to. If we are without God in our life, all of our “yes’s” are basically guesswork. Our guesses sometimes make things worse, and sometimes a little better—but without God we cannot find the path to full life.

 

In his grace, however, God has already said “yes” to something else for us. Through the work of Jesus, God has said “yes” to our redemption, giving us a whole new way of life. And because of this, God can now train us to say “yes” to better choices in our everyday living. That’s self-control. Self-control is the God-trained ability to understand and choose which options bring us closer to being our best selves. Choose self-control in every area of your life today!

 

The Joy of Life

 

And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. (Nehemiah 8:8-12 ESV).

 

How long should we feel sorry for our sins? If we move on too fast, does that show we aren’t really sorry? Are we doing some injustice to God or to others we have sinned against? Or, if we hold on to being sorry too long, does that mean we do not trust enough in God’s power to forgive?

 

Guilt can be hard to get over. The feelings can last a long time. And, while this may be what we deserve, grace has changed that. Since all sins are against God, even when a sin is also against others, God’s situation is totally opposite to ours. He could demand that we wallow in our sorrow. But that’s not who God is. God loves us and is overjoyed when we want to be in a good relationship with him again. In fact, God has so much joy when we repent of our sin that his joy provides the strength we need to forgive ourselves.

 

Nehemiah urged the people to experience that joy. He called for a feast so that the people could enjoy fine foods and drinks and share with others. This wasn’t about just going through motions; it was about recognizing that God’s law calls for a relationship with us. And as far as God is concerned, if we are ready to stop moving away from him and start moving toward him, that brings him the most joy.

 

The life Jesus came to give us is one where we recognize that He paid the price we could never pay, and died the death we deserve!

 

The Call to Endurance

“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” (Revelation 3:7-13 ESV).

 

I know we have visited this passage of Scripture recently; however, it is perfect for us today as we examine the need for endurance in our pursuit of a peaceful, joyful life. There is no denying that Jesus suffered terribly because of how sinful our world is. After suffering, Jesus even died because of our sins. He endured suffering and died so that our sins would be paid for and our deaths could be overcome. Then, on the third day, Jesus rose from the dead in triumph, yet we must not lose sight of his suffering.

 

The believers who made up the church in ancient Philadelphia, in Greece, held tightly to the story of Jesus’ suffering. It inspired them enough to face their own suffering and persecution. And Jesus said they would be rewarded for their steadfast endurance.

 

In this passage, what is called “patience” is more like extreme patience. It’s the kind of patience that is required to endure doing the right thing and living the right way even when you can’t see any benefit in doing so. It is the virtue of holding on even when the reward might not come in this life. Jesus’ reward was that his death opened up a door to allow us to spend eternity with him. And our reward is that being devoted to Jesus allows us to step through that door and spend eternity with him. That is our clear call!