“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:23).

Some of us were taught in Sunday School and/or frequently reminded by our parents to be kind. But what does it really mean to be kind? This is important, because we learn in Proverbs that “Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor” (Proverbs 21:21).

I want to make sure I am pursuing the right kind of kindness. We hear about random acts of kindness. In the past month, I was treated to a Starbucks coffee of my choice by the person in the drive thru ahead of me. That was random, and it was genuinely nice and much appreciated. But is this the “kindness” of which Scripture is speaking? Maybe….

Kindness is more than being nice. Niceness is a courtesy, but does not always require much thoughtfulness, whereas there is an element of benevolence to kindness. For example, it is nice to tell someone they look “nice” regardless of how they really look. We are being kind when we discreetly tell someone that their sweater is inside-out (thank you, by the way).

Webster defines “kind” as sympathetic or helpful, of a forbearing nature, or to give pleasure or relief. My Starbucks benefactor was, in fact, all those things. However, the “kindness” of which the Bible speaks is spirit-produced. According to an article on the Desiring God website, “It’s a supernaturally generous orientation of our hearts toward other people, even when they don’t deserve it and don’t love us in return. God himself is kind in this way. His kindness is meant to lead people to repentance which implies they haven’t yet turned to him and are still his enemies.”

We imitate God’s kindness, therefore, even when it is a challenge to do so; for example, by selflessly loving our enemies. Jesus said, “Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil” (Luke 6:35).

This article goes on to say that “Kindness may not be pleasant. In fact, it may feel more like a blow to the head. ‘Let a righteous man strike me — it is a kindness; let him rebuke me — it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it’ (Psalm 14:15). Jesus called the Pharisees a brood of vipers. That wasn’t pleasant, but it was kind, because Jesus was exposing their sin. A kind physician cuts deep to get your cancer.” A kind teacher does not let a student off the hook when they fail to do their assignments.

You see, as image-bearers of God, we want to imitate His communicable attributes. We see in the verses below that kindness is an attribute of God. This kindness is demonstrated, it is love in action, with an element of mercy, and with the objective of leading others to Christ.

• “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4).

• “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:4-7).

• “But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior…” (Titus 3:4-6).

The easiest way to discern and demonstrate an act of kindness is to thoughtfully consider each of our interactions with others, taking the long view of what is best for them even when it means sacrifice on our part—perhaps a sacrifice of our pride, our resources, our time. It means withholding a harsh or self-serving comment, and instead thinking through how to say something that will encourage or build one up. Our kindness reflects the heart of our Father and is the most effective way to communicate our faith and testimony. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:23).

In Christ,

Judy

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come …” (2 Peter 3:8-10a). 

In this series of Chaplain’s Corners, we are focusing on the communicable attributes of God, those attributes we can share with God because we are made in His image. One of those attributes is patience, as described in the following passage: “But for that very reason I (Paul) was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:16). 

We as Americans are not known for our patience. In fact, patience might even be seen as a flaw in the extremely aggressive world of business where results often demanded immediately, or else! Give me patience and give it to me NOW!!!

We have all felt this way at one time or another, especially when waiting in line.

However, we know that patience is for our own well-being as well as others. It helps us with our expectations, our blood pressure, and saves us from unhealthy relationship mistakes. There are several synonyms for “patience” in the Bible: longsuffering, forbearing, steadfast, waiting, slow to anger. We can learn much from God about patience because patience is one of His attributes; one for which we should all be most grateful! “And rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster” (Joel 2:13). 

In these passages and examples, what we see is that patience is concerned with the element of time. “God is not slow about His promise” and “God is slow to anger.” In actuality, God is neither slow nor not slow, but right on time. God’s timing is perfect, and we should accept that “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

When we demonstrate patience as humans, we are also showing our trust in God and our appreciation for His timing and grace; and we are extending that same trust and grace to others of His creation. And when we demonstrate impatience, we are typically showing distrust and ungraciousness. So, the question becomes, what do we do to be productively patient. After all, anyone can just wait. But do you wait in fear for what the doctor might have to say about your diagnosis and prognosis? Or do you wait while tapping your foot or drumming your fingers, huffing, and puffing with an obvious show of dissatisfaction for having this disruption to your own personal schedule? What good does that really do anyone. (Is it obvious that I am talking to myself, now?)

So how can we learn and practice patience?

1. Trust God. He is sovereign—all knowing and all powerful. He alone can see the entire situation, He alone already knows the best outcome, and He alone desires what is best for all parties.
2. Gain perspective. I received exceptionally good advice many years ago. I was eagerly wanting to move up in my career and had been promised a promotional opportunity that was slow in coming about. When I impatiently complained, I was told that the time I was having to wait was like the blink of an eye in my overall career. And he was right. We do need to try to have the perspective of time. These next few minutes or days/weeks we are waiting are minimal in comparison to our lifetime or eternity.
3. Reframe the situation. Rather than seeing the waiting as an interruption, inconvenience, or negative, instead see how you can positively use the time to pray, to check on a friend, study, or just relax and rest.
4. Challenge yourself. Rather than showing your impatience and frustration, demonstrate kindness and graciousness to those around you. You will be rewarded.

“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (Lamentations 3:25-26).

In Christ,

Judy

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

How many adults have said to their children, “Just give me some peace?!?! What they probably mean is they want silence and absence of conflict. But peace is so much more than that. Jesus did not come so we would merely stop fighting. Jesus came to reconcile us back to God. Jesus is reconciliation; He is the Prince of Peace! True peace means reconciliation.

There are so many levels of peace and its counterpart: National Peace vs. Civil War/World War; Neighborhood Peace vs. Hate Crimes and Gangs; Family Peace vs. Family Disruption, Separation, and Divorce; Personal Peace vs. Anxiety.

One challenge to long-lasting peace is that we do not take it far enough. We may agree to stop the fighting, but we do not work toward actual reconciliation. We may build a fence to keep out the problems, but we do not work toward establishing a mutually beneficial neighborhood. We may tolerate our disagreeable family members, but we do not do the work of understanding them. We may take anxiety medication to calm our heart and mind, but we do not seek “…the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, (that) will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

Another challenge to peace is that it requires at least two sides to get along—your side and the “other” side, and we cannot control the “other” side. Paul recognizes this when he tells the Romans “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18).

True peace, then is illusive. Like love and joy, the first two attributes we discussed, true peace is only possible for us humans through the work of the Holy Spirit; in fact, it is one of the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit.

So, what can we do to make peace, to achieve the blessing of Matthew 5:9?

1. It all starts with our personal relationship with God. We must be fully reconciled to God. That means we regularly confess our sins to Him, or in other words, agree with Him about our thoughts, words, and actions. It means that we regularly seek His forgiveness and strive to obey Him. It means that we receive His forgiveness and His love, and that we are always thankful. And the good news is that Jesus has already made peace with us. “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you” (Isaiah 26:3).

• We must not so easily take offence, we must not hold grudges, and we must forgive those who do harm to us. Okay, this is hard. But we must remember that no one has more undeservedly been attacked than Jesus—both when He walked on the earth as a human, and even now with our ongoing disobedience. He was physically attacked, verbally attacked. When his name is taken in vain, it is hurtful to him. But with all that, Jesus forgives us; and if He can forgive us, we should be able to forgive those who harm us. (And if we don’t forgive others, we can hardly expect Him to forgive us (see Matthew 6:14-15)!) We are not expected to condone the offensive behavior, and the perpetrators are not expected to get away without consequences. But our hearts must forgive. “It (love) does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:5). “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32).

• Promote unity rather than division. Do not do anything to foster antagonism between other parties. Do not take sides, do not spread gossip or anything negative about others. Instead, let your words and actions be positive and useful for building up the Kingdom. “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).

God possesses all His attributes all the time. He is the God of love, joy, and peace. When we strive for these qualities or attributes in ourselves, we will find that they work together to support each other. If your goal is to love others, you will find joy and peace. If you desire true joy, you will experience love and peace. And if you are a peacemaker, you will also be filled with love and joy. As Matthew 5:9 promises, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called Children of God.” The rewards are both earthly and eternal.

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” (James 3:17-18)

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

In Christ,

Judy

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalm 16:11).

As believers, we desire to live godly lives, to become more Christ-like. Last week we began a series on the Imitation of Christ by analyzing the communicable attributes of God and then, as image bearers of God, learning how we can apply them to our lives and carry them to others as fruits of the spirit. Communicable attributes are those that we share with God because we are made in His image and are in addition to those attributes that only God possesses, such as omnipresence, omniscience, etc., which are called his incommunicable attributes.

We know from Scripture that one attribute of God is love: God Is love. But did you know that joy is also a communicable attribute of God? And the coolest thing is that when we see God expressing this attribute, it is because he is rejoicing in us, his creation! “The Lord takes delight in you, and he will rejoice in you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17). And God desires to fill us with his joy. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13). The most extreme example of this godly joy is found in Hebrews 12:2 “For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

What was/is this joy that Jesus was looking forward to, that made it worth it to endure the shame and horror of the cross? If we consider the previous Chapter (11) of Hebrews, the writer is recalling the many heroes of the faith who are now in heaven; and if we consider that Jesus was looking forward to returning to heaven where he would take his place at the right hand of God, it seems evident that his joy was to be with his Father and with all the saints in Heaven.

I can relate to this at the human level. I feel such a joy when all my family is together —my husband, my two boys and their families. My heart is full of happiness, peace, and contentment and it seems that I could not want more than this. But I know that as wonderful as this is, it is not usually enduring. People, even our most beloved family members, will disappoint us at one time or another. Or they will get sick, or something will happen to spoil the situation. I am not being negative or dramatic, just realistic because of the corrupt world we live in. This is why we must set our hearts on things above to experience true joy.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21).

There are a couple of things we can learn from this:

First, we see that joy comes at a cost. The cost to Jesus was his horrific crucifixion. But note that he did not go through that for himself. He did it for us! Can we even grasp that our rescue from this corrupt world was so worth it to Jesus that he endured the cross for us, for the joy of being reconciled with us in heaven? What joy!!

And secondly, we must understand that joy will come at a cost for us. James tells us to “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2-3). Note that he does not say if, but when. Joy cannot be dependent upon our circumstances. Jesus tells us that in this world, we will have trouble. David tells us that “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).

Joy is a mindset. My Life Application Bible defines joy like this: “In contrast to happiness stands joy. Running deeper and stronger, joy is the quiet, confident assurance of God’s love and work in our lives, that he will be there no matter what! Happiness depends on happenings, but joy depends on Christ.”

While we live in this world, enduring trials of many kinds, we remind ourselves that this world is not our ultimate home. We can be joyful because we know that our ultimate destination is in glory with God in heaven. Paul confirmed the mindset challenge when he wrote to the Philippians from prison in Rome “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4).

How can we have the fruit of joy in our lives? We must simply remember the love that Christ has for us that caused him to rescue us from our earthly troubles by his sacrificial death on the cross. We must dwell on the hope that we have in a glorious eternal life in heaven with our heavenly Father.

“Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” (Psalm 126:5).

In Christ,

Judy

“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.” 1 John 4:7-8

As believers, we desire to live godly lives, to become more Christ-like. We know from Scripture that one attribute of God is love: God Is love. God loves His son. When Jesus was baptized to begin his ministry, God spoke from heaven: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). And we know that God loves His creation: “For 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” (John 3:16).

Love is one of God’s communicable attributes, meaning that while God IS Love, he also commands us as his children to love. In fact, Jesus says that the greatest commandment God has given to us humans is to love God and to love each other.

There are many claims to true love. Love stories, romance, sacrificial love. We may claim to love our homes, our country, our flowers, our chocolate cake, the book we are reading, the car we are driving. But what is love, really? Love certainly can be described as a feeling, but true love is more about what we do than how we feel. In fact, many times love may be described as what we do despite how we feel. For example, love is making dinner for your family when you are dead on your feet from exhaustion. Love is caring for someone who is sick when you would much rather be sitting in your recliner watching television.

True love is a verb, the object of true love is a person, and the motivation and empowerment for true love is God. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control….” What this means is that the only love that matters to God is love that is empowered by the Holy Spirit and motivated by our love for God and gratitude for what He has done for us. Therefore, if we want to please God and imitate Christ, we will prayerfully seek to make every thought we think, every word we speak, and every action we take be done with pure motives to be pleasing to God and for the benefit of the person with whom we are engaging, with no thought of selfish gain. And it means that we also behave this way toward those who are not able to repay as well as toward people that we do not like.

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

I do not know about you, but all this seems great, but humanly impossible. How can we ever be this loving? The only way is by focusing on the One who is Love. So, the way we show love in a God-honoring way is:

1. Make God the priority in our lives; make it a priority to worship Him, praise Him, thank Him, and continually seek His will. King David set an example for how he praised God with his thoughts and speech: “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you” (Psalm 63:3).
2. Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you, to give you wisdom and discernment, and to empower you to do God’s will. Then you can be confident that you are loving in the way that pleases God.

Paul tells us all about love in 1 Corinthians 13. At the end of the chapter, he pronounces this remarkable statement: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). He does not mean that love is more important than faith or hope. In fact, those are all equally important. What Paul means is that of the three, only one is eternal. Faith is what God requires of us to achieve eternal life. Hope likewise is our confident expectation of eternal life with our Father in Heaven. Once we have passed into Heaven, faith and hope have done their jobs, so to speak. However, we will continue to love in Heaven; therefore, in this context, “the greatest of these is love.”

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19).

In Christ,

Judy