Saul, the persecutor of the church, experienced God’s kindness on the road to Damascus. The kindness of God is rich, because He is patient, and His kindness will lead us towards repentance. In Romans 2:4 Paul declares, “God’s kindness is meant to lead to repentance”. Even though God is just, it is His kindness that leads us to turn to Him. By His grace we are led to repent and experience His kindness.

We have been urged in 1 Thessalonians 5:8 “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” We are invited to come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace in time of need.

God is developing Christlikeness in us, which causes us to show the Holy Spirit fruit of kindness to others, not just with words. When we want to reflect something of the atmosphere of heaven, we need a softening of our hearts towards others, which is expressed in kindness.

O Lord, Give me strength today to show kindness in all that I do. Help me to open my arms to those less fortunate and extend my hand to those who may need it, so that they may see You in my kind words and actions. Amen.

On our recent trip to Germany, we came across a group of believers who made a great impact on us. When we asked what was behind this, they said they pray every day for ways to show kindness. Their roots are in the revival in Herrenhut. Their motto is, “In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; and in all things, love”. We saw this in action when we took a trip with them. They gave assistance to two strangers who had run out of petrol. This touched the two men’s hearts, and it opened the door to prayer and an encounter with the Lord.

In 1 Corinthians 13, the emphasis is on love which is sourced in God’s kindness and patience. “Love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

We as the body of Christ are urged by the Lord to show practical acts of kindness to the people we meet each day. This will open new doors of opportunity to share the love of Jesus. Let us all be expectant to have testimonies as a result of Holy Spirit encounters with those who have been touched through acts of kindness.