Be-Cast Episode 12: BE KIND
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THIS WEEK’S VERSES:
“A kindhearted woman gains honor, but ruthless men gain only wealth.” (Proverbs 11:16)
“She opens her mouth with wisdom. The teaching of kindness is on her tongue.” (Proverbs 31:26)
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:21-23)
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Colossians 3:12)
A MESSAGE FROM MONICA:
My favorite thing about doing these podcasts (besides spending time with Sara and Amber), is that God completely challenges everything I thought I knew about each subject.
Take this week for example. In researching kindness, I truly thought I would find more of a doing of kindness message. And then, in the first two verses I looked up, God clearly showed me how we first demonstrate kindness through our speech — how speaking kind words is the truest form of kindness.
That fascinates me because of the verse in Matthew that says, “For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks” (12:34). So if my words are unkind, my heart is unkind. And how do you speak kind words?
BE kind.
It’s sort of like a vicious catch-22 — BE kind to speak kind words…speak kind words to BE kind.
And then all the instances in recent weeks in which I spoke very, very unkind words flew across my mind in a marquee and I realized I have some work to do in this area of kindness. But it’s work I want to do and am committed to do. Because the benefits of speaking kind words are immeasurable:
First, a woman’s kind words gains her high esteem. Matthew Henry says this:
In her tongue is the law of kindness; all she says is under the government of that law. The law of love and kindness is written in the heart, but it shows itself in the tongue; if we are kindly affectioned one to another, it will appear by affectionate expression. Her wisdom and kindness together put a commanding power into all she says; they command respect, they command compliance. How forcible are right words! In her tongue is the law of grace, or mercy (so some read it), understanding it of the word and law of God, which she delights to talk of among her children and servants.
Second, our kindness and kind words is a reflection of our relationship to God. If I choose to live in the truth of who I am in relationship to God — His elect, holy and beloved — then He will give me the grace to BE kind. John Darby says this:
And note here, that the putting on of these qualities is in the consciousness of the blessed place before God expressed in the words “elect of God, holy and beloved.” It is as such. Nor can we do it otherwise. It is in the sense of this wondrous favour that grace develops itself in our hearts.
It’s the sinking into, the clothing ourselves in kindness that cultivates it in our spirits, our hearts, and then in the outpouring of our words and actions.
As we enter into 2014 — a new year full of anticipation, grace and hope — let’s make it a goal to BE kind. Let’s focus clothing ourselves in the kindness available to us by the Holy Spirit and sinking into it…so much so that our words, which pour from our heart, bring integrity and high esteem to Jesus as we speak with kindness.
Happy New Year!
PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
1. Silence and Solitude. We become like Jesus when we take time to sit still and be with Him. Silence and solitude restores the soul — you set yourself apart from demands. You feel. You listen. You get re-grounded. Why is this necessary? “Ever try to be kind to someone when you’re pressured and in a hurry? Ever try to offer compassion to someone when you’re exhausted? It’s tough.”
2. Vision. Have a vision of kindness. What does that kind person look like? Is she less in a hurry than you are right now? We have to want to be more kind, which means being willing to be inconvenienced in order to practice kindness.
DOWNLOAD:
Print out this week’s scripture download to keep up as a reminder!
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
1. Article from Dr. William Gaultiere from the Crystal Cathedral in California. Great stuff about how to cultivate kindness.
2. Showing Myself a Little Kindness. A sweet article from incourage about speaking kindness to yourself.