The essence of kindness, characterized as the heart of God in action, is the focal point of today's discussion. I will explore the rich meaning of the Greek term for kindness which transcends the simplistic notion of being nice and delves into the deeper implications of genuine benevolence and usefulness towards others. Through our examination, we will uncover how biblical kindness is not merely an expression of good intentions but a purposeful act that seeks to address the real needs of those around us. As we reflect on this concept, we will also consider how the Holy Spirit cultivates authentic kindness within us, enabling us to embody God's nature in our interactions.

Takeaways:

1. The content of Living the Selah Life is aimed at providing spiritual encouragement and personal reflection.
2. Listeners should seek professional advice for any medical, psychological, or health-related issues they may encounter.
3. Kindness, as explored in this episode, is defined as the heart of God in action, meeting real needs.
4. Biblical kindness is characterized by a genuine desire to benefit others and is purposeful in nature.
5. Divine kindness is shown through acts that go beyond mere niceness and are motivated by love and compassion.
6. The command to be kind is an essential principle for believers, reflecting God's grace in our interactions with others.

Links referenced in this episode:

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The content shared on Living the Selah Life is for spiritual encouragement, personal reflection, and informational purposes only.

It is not intended to diagnose, treat or replace medical, psychological or professional advice of any kind.

Please consult a licensed health care provider or qualified professional for any physical, mental or emotional health concerns.

The views expressed are those of the host, Kimberly Lockanore, and are based on personal experience and Biblical insight, not clinical training.

Welcome back to Living the Selah Life, a podcast that invites you to slow down, to breathe and reconnect with the presence of God.

I am your host, Kim, and this space is for anyone longing to become more familiar with his presence.

Each episode is an intentional pause, a moment to reflect, realign and remember that God meets us when we create space for Him.

So take a breath.

You are right on time.

Let's live the Selah Life together.

Hey hey my friends.

Welcome back to Living the Selah Life.

In our last episode, we talked about goodness and today we will talk about kindness.

It is the very heart of God in action, his benevolent nature flowing through us to meet real needs in a tangible way.

So I'm going to call today's main teaching kindness the heart of God in action.

And for most of these Fruit of the Spirit messages, you are going to see me refer to the Greek word for what the fruit of the spirit is.

And it is just because the English language does some of these words absolutely no justice.

The meaning is so much more in depth than what the English connotation offers, and kindness is no different.

So the Greek word for kindness is chrestotes, crestotes and I'll spell it again for my Greeks out there.

I do apologize because I'm probably butchering your language, which is not the intent, but I will spell it for anyone that wants to look it up.

It's C H R E S T O T E S and it's pronounced crestotes.

And this word describes something that's useful, profitable, or well suited.

And when you use it as a noun, it signifies a disposition of inner goodness and benevolent usefulness towards others.

It's a character trait that's characterized by a kindly nature that puts others at ease and seeks to help and benefit them.

Now, y' all know when we say, oh, they are so kind, that is not everything.

What I just said is not all the things that we think of someone being that they're useful, profitable, well suited, benevolent usefulness towards others.

When we think kindness, we just think, oh, they're nice.

But kindness has such a much more rich meaning to the people In Bible times.

So in ancient Greek culture, crestotes was used to describe wine that had aged well and become smooth and mellow.

It described tools that were well made and functioned perfectly for their intended purpose.

And it referred to people who were not only good in character, but genuinely helpful and beneficial to others.

Now, who does this sound like?

So when the Holy Spirit produces cresto taste in us, he creates goodness that goes beyond good intentions or nice feelings.

This kindness seeks to benefit others, to meet their needs, to make their lives better in practical and meaningful ways.

Biblical kindness is always purposeful.

It sees a need and it responds.

It notices pain and offers comfort, and it recognizes struggle and and provides help.

Now, who do we know that does all of these things?

I always say that the Holy Spirit is the kindest person that I know.

And it is because he goes far beyond just being nice.

It feels like it's overboard, but it's not overboard.

It is what kindness really means.

To have the best interest of the other person at heart and to be useful to them on purpose.

So human niceness comes from social expectations or personal upbringing or the desire to be liked.

We act nice to keep our relationships intact.

Come on, y'.

All.

To avoid conflict or to feel good about ourselves.

And sometimes our niceness can be superficial, conditional, or even self serving.

But the Holy Spirit kind of kindness flows from God's nature and it seeks the genuine good of others.

It's motivated by love rather than obligation and by compassion rather than courtesy.

Divine kindness acts even when it's inconvenient, costly, or unappreciated.

Because it flows from God's heart of love.

Divine kindness is also wise.

It knows the difference between helping and enabling, between compassion and foolishness.

And it seeks the highest good for others, which sometimes means saying no to immediate requests in order to serve a long term well being.

The Spirit can change our motivation for kindness.

Instead of being kind to earn approval or to feel good about ourselves, we become kind because God's own kind nature dwells within us.

This makes our kindness authentic, sustainable, and free from hidden agendas.

Throughout Scripture, God's kindness is one of his most prominent characteristics.

Psalms 136 repeats 26 times that his mercy endures forever.

And the Hebrew word for mercy here is hesed, hesed spelled C H E S E d. And this word encompasses kindness, loving kindness and faithful love.

Now y' all see how these English words do the words that the Bible was originally written in.

No justice at all.

God's kindness is seen everywhere, from the littlest to sending rain on the just and the unjust, causes the sun to rise on good and evil people and provides for all living creatures.

His kindness sustains the entire world and meets the needs of all of his creation.

His kindness is redemptive.

He could have left humanity the way that we were.

Yet his kindness motivated him to provide a way out.

Ephesians, chapter 2, verses 7 speaks of the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Our salvation itself is an expression of divine kindness.

When the Holy Spirit produces kindness in us, we become living expressions of God's kind nature.

People encounter God's heart through our acts of kindness.

They experience his love through our practical care, and they can taste his goodness through our generous service.

So, you know, a lot of times you will hear people say, do it, Lord.

Do it for your glory.

Show this person that, or show this person this.

And I'm going to constantly say, you are his ambassador in the earth.

So when you're looking for him to do it, Lord, as in, be kind to somebody.

Somebody you know that needs love, somebody that you know that needs encouraging, guess who he's using to do that?

Kindness also changes how we interact with the people around us.

In marriages, kindness looks like thoughtful gestures, helpful actions, and gentle words that communicate love and care.

Kindness notices when your spouse is tired and offers help, and it remembers what brings them joy and creates opportunities for that joy.

And in friendships, kindness can look like the friend who brings meals during difficult times, who remembers important events, dates, who listens without being judgy, and who offers help without being asked.

Kind friends create safe spaces where people can be themselves.

And I am so thankful for the friends that I have in my life.

Shout out to all of you because I have some amazing friends that have, can be myself and always have been.

And in workplace relationships, kindness might look like offering to help with a difficult project or celebrating a colleague's success, providing encouragement during stressful times.

Kind co workers create positive environments where everyone can thrive.

One of the most powerful expressions of divine kindness is how it extends beyond our immediate circle.

Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors and pray for those who persecute us, demonstrating the same kindness that God shows to all people.

Kindness to strangers reflects God's heart for all humanity.

It could be something as simple as a genuine smile, or holding the door open, or letting someone go ahead of you in line.

Kindness to difficult people requires the supernatural empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

It is so easy to be kind to those who are kind to us.

But real, true divine kindness extends grace to those who are harsh, patience to those who are demanding and care to those who are unlovable.

This kindness often has the power to change hearts and situations.

When people encounter unexpected kindness, especially from those they've wronged or opposed, it can break down walls and open doors for relationship and healing.

And I just love that.

I've witnessed that.

I've been on both ends of that and it is very, very true.

Which is why when God it says the goodness of God, bring them in the repentance.

When he's kind to you and he's good to you and you know all the stuff that you was out in them streets doing, it is very, very difficult to resist Him.

And it is that goodness and that kindness that brings people to God.

True biblical kindness requires wisdom and discernment.

It's not always kind to give people what they want or to avoid difficult conversations.

Sometimes the kindest thing we can do is speak truth in love, set healthy boundaries, or allow people to experience the consequences of their choices.

Wise kindness knows the difference between helping and enabling.

As we said earlier, it seeks to empower people and it offers support that encourages growth and responsibility.

Kindness also requires discernment about timing and approach.

The same message delivered with kindness at the right time can be absolutely life giving, while that very same message delivered harshly or at the wrong time, can be destructive.

The Holy Spirit gives us the wisdom and discernment that we need and as we stay connected to him, he guides us in how to express kindness in ways that truly serves others highest good.

So we will move on to this week's Scripture Spotlight and it comes From Ephesians chapter 4, verses 32 and be kind to one another.

Tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

So this verse connects three very powerful qualities and shows us the foundation for authentic kindness.

The command to be kind Be kind to one another it is a clear command here that Paul is instructing to believers to be kind in their relationships with each other.

Kindness with Tender Heartedness the word tenderhearted describes compassion and mercy.

True kindness flows from a heart that feels for others, that is moved by their needs and their pain.

It's not just external behavior, but comes from internal compassion.

Kindness connected to Forgiveness Paul links kindness with forgiveness, showing that these qualities work together.

Kind people are forgiving people because they understand their own need for grace.

The Foundation God's kindness to us, even as God in Christ forgave you, is the foundation for all all kindness.

We can be kind and forgiving to others because we have received God's kindness and forgiveness.

Our kindness flows from what we have received.

The pattern of Christ.

The phrase in Christ shows us that Jesus is both the means of our forgiveness and the model for our kindness.

We look to how Christ treated others as our example for how to treat those around us.

The reciprocal nature the verse creates a beautiful cycle.

God is kind to us, so we are kind to others.

And as we practice kindness, we become more like Christ, which opens our hearts to receive even more of his kindness.

This verse shows us that kindness is not really optional for followers of Christ.

It's a natural expression of the grace we have received and a way that we can reflect God's character in the world.

Let's move on to this week's Pause Prompts and remember Paul's prompts are never for self condemnation or judgment.

It is just to take inventory of where you are so that we can see where we need to be.

Pause Prompt number one how has God's kindness shown up in your life recently?

Take some time to remember his practical care and provision for you.

When someone is kind to you, how does it affect your heart and your day?

How might your kindness impact others in similar ways?

Are there people in your life toward whom you find it difficult to be kind?

And what does this reveal about areas where you need the Holy Spirit's help?

Can you think of a time when someone's unexpected kindness changed your perspective?

How did that experience reflect God's heart?

Remember, kindness is God's useful goodness flowing through us to meet real needs in practical ways.

So we will move on to my favorite part of the podcast, the Selah Moment.

This is our opportunity to personally receive God's kindness and to ask the Holy Spirit to fill us with the same kindness.

So begin by sitting comfortably and taking a few deep breaths.

Invite the God of all kindness to fill you with his tender heart.

Take a few moments to remember specific ways God has shown kindness to you.

Think about his provision, his patience, his comfort, his guidance.

Let yourself truly experience gratitude for his practical care in your life.

Even if at this moment you can name so many things that are going wrong, I want you to let your think on the things that are going right.

Imagine God's kind heart beating within you.

Feel his compassion for others, his desire to meet needs, his joy in blessing people.

Allow his kindness to become your kindness.

Bring to mind the people in your life who are difficult to love.

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see them through his kind eyes.

Notice their needs, their struggles beneath their behavior.

Let us pray.

Father, thank you for your incredible kindness towards us.

Thank you for your practical care, your love and your constant provision.

Thank you that your kindness led us to repentance and continues to lead us into growth and healing.

Holy Spirit, fill us with the same kindness that that flows from the Father's heart.

Help us understand that true kindness is your useful goodness.

Meeting real needs in practical ways Free us from trying to manufacture kindness and teach us to live from the kindness you freely give.

Open our eyes to see the needs of those around us us and help us notice the lonely, the struggling, the overwhelmed and the discouraged.

Give us creativity and resources to meet needs in ways that truly help and bless people in our marriages and families.

Help us be consistently kind.

Let our kindness create safe spaces where our loved ones and friends feel valued and of kind cared for.

Help us choose kindness even when we are tired, stressed or disappointed in our workplace and communities.

Make us people who bring light and encouragement.

Give us courage to be kind to those who are difficult to love.

Help us extend grace to those who who have hurt us, patience to those who frustrate us and care to those who seem unlovable.

Let your supernatural kindness flow through us to reach hearts that only you can reach.

Help us receive your kindness toward our own journeys where we have been harsh with ourselves.

Teach us to treat ourselves with the same tenderness that you show us.

Make our kindness wise and discerning.

Help us know when to help and when to allow others to grow through their challenges.

Let our kindness serve others highest good even when it's difficult.

Use our acts of kindness to reveal your heart to others.

Lord.

Let people encounter you your love through our care.

May they taste your goodness through our generous service and experience your compassion through our tender hearts.

Thank you that your kindness is new every morning just like your mercies are available in unlimited supply.

Help us be conduits of that kindness bringing your heart into every relationship and to situation that we encounter.

It is in Jesus name that we pray and it is so sink into your Selah moment.

Sam.

Sa.

Well my friends, we finished another one.

Thank you for listening to Living the Selah Life.

If this moment stirred something in your spirit, please share with someone who needs to be reminded to pause and to listen.

You can connect with me on Instagram, my Facebook group or YouTube at Living the Selah Life or email me your story, testimony or any Selah moment that you would like to hear on the show.

So until next time, remember that God is speaking.

He wants to guide you and direct you and give you his wisdom for your life.

Create space to listen.

Be patient with yourself as you learn and trust that the same God who spoke the universe into existence wants to speak into your ordinary life.

So may you go from this place rested, carrying the awareness that his presence is always near.

May you be rooted in the unshakable word of God, the Logos that ground you and the rhema that guides you.

And may you keep rising into the life he designed for you, into purpose, into peace, into the fullness of his calling.

May your life become a life living.

Selah an intentional pause that reveals his presence.

And it is so in Jesus name.

Selah.

Sam.