Kindness is Contagious

With lovingkindness have I drawn thee. ~ Jeremiah 31:3

Kindness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. It’s expressed when you genuinely act friendly, generous, or considerate. It involves compassion, tender concern, and uprightness in both thoughtfulness of heart and thoughtfulness of action.

What’s interesting about kindness is that it always involves an action. For God’s kindness gave us salvation (Titus 3:4-5; Romans 2:4; 11:22). In kindness, God provides green pastures, quiet waters, and the renewal of our minds when we’re exhausted (Psalm 23:2-3). God’s kindness leads Him to gather us under His wings, protect us and keep us close to Him in His everlasting abiding love (Psalm 17:8; 36:7; 61:4; Matthew 23:37; John 3:16).

Jesus showed kindness by healing the sick (Matthew 14:14), raising the dead (John 11:35, 38), feeding the hungry (Matthew 15:32), preaching in love (Mark 6:34), casting out demons (Matthew 8:16), interceding for His disciples and the Church (John 17:20-21), and giving His life (John 3:16). Jesus also touched those considered untouchable (Matthew 8:1-4), spent time with those rejected by society (Luke 19: 5), and showed compassion to those suffering (Luke 8:48).

Kindness caused Jesus to help those in need (Mark 6:34; Mark 7:29; Mark 10:46-52). Kindness leads the Good Shepherd to rescue you when you stray (Luke 15:3-7). When you feel rejected and downtrodden, Jesus lifts you up in kindness. Luke 6:31, instructs…  Do to others as you want them to do to you.

For kindness… only in talk is useless… easily ignored and forgotten. But kindness demonstrated through action… shines irresistible and is long remembered. When you act in kindness, you become useful to others.

It doesn’t matter if the act of kindness is great or small… it’s never wasted. Nor… can you do kindness too soon. For, acts of kindness make you a better person. It leaves those receiving the kind deed better than they were before.

So, whether it’s sharing a cookie with an elderly neighbor. Donating to a favorite charity or giving your time to help with disaster relief efforts thousands of miles from home. Kindness makes a difference! By exercising this fruit of the Spirit, you’re bearing witness to the Master Teacher.

Know that kindness is contagious! Being kind to others, encourages them to be kind to others, and on-and-on it goes.

God Bless… I am Wiley’s granddaughter.

My Daily Bread

Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: ~ Proverbs 30:8

“Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me my daily bread” a powerful and simple way to interact with the world. Yet, some practices embraced by many Christians, seem to seek bread by the weeks, months, and years. Gluttonous… wasteful excess for personal gratification that lives in the prosperity doctrines found in many churches. An ideology that most often produces greed.

God affirms that it is He, who gives a person the power to gain wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18). 1 Timothy 6:9, tells us that those who seek to get rich fall into temptation, traps and many foolish and harmful desires that lead to ruin and destruction. Which is sad, because “rich” denotes money and possessions, while “wealth” is so much more.

For when God gives wealth,  be assured of happiness and prosperity, with spiritual well-being. The following Scriptures, help to explain the right and the wrong use of money and possessions; Matthew 6:21, Matthew 21:12-13, Malachi 3:10, 1 Timothy 6:17-19, Ecclesiastes 5:10, Romans 13:8, Psalm 37:16-17, Proverbs 13:11, Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 19:21, Proverbs 17:16, Matthew 6:24, Luke 3:14, Exodus 22:25, 1 Timothy 6:10, and Proverbs 10:4.

Christians beliefs and practices about wealth must not seem indistinguishable from non-believers. The Sermon on the Mount teaches perplexing and challenging wisdom from Jesus about the right relationship with wealth… to avoid greed. Based on Matthew 6:24, Christians “cannot serve God and wealth” and must remember that greed is much craftier than merely the desire for wealth.

Those who know Jesus Christ will not store up all their riches on earth… It is enough that this day… we have our daily bread (Matthew 6:11).

God Bless… I am Wiley’s granddaughter.

The Ephemeral Nature of Life

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1

When a loved one dies, rarely do we feel the time has been long enough. Compounded by circumstances, each bereavement has its own set of griefs. The sorrow of an unexpected death… the sadness from a gradual loss due to illness… can be heartbreaking and soul-wrenching… even, after many wonderful years shared together. Distressing situations, whereby… through our tears, we’re forced to witness the ephemeral nature of life.

When grief embraces us and no words seem adequate to express our loss and sorrow. A heartache that springs from an abyss of surrealness… a disorienting empty space where even screams are silent. That state of mind, for which Paul addresses in Romans 8:26… in times such as this, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, interpreting what is in our hearts into moans, groans, and utterances that only God can understand.

As Christians, it’s not necessary to act… as if we’re not saddened or hurt by the death of our loved one. It’s normal and beneficial to grieve when we lose the companionship of someone dearest to us. It’s okay to seek refuge from those who do not judge, but rather feel empathy and sympathy with us. Those fellow believers… family and friends, who encourage us and remind us that Jesus loves us.

Recently, I heard a minister say, “…that Jesus wept” (John 11:35). If Jesus shed tears… then surely, we can weep over the loss of someone we love. As we began the short or long journey towards recovery… We know that the journey’s severity will lessen over time. That there will be peace and happiness again in our lives. For tears of sorrow shall be replaced by tears of joy and thankfulness. Remember Matthew 5:4, Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Praise be to God in Jesus’ name… the One who is too wise to make a mistake. For love… is most important, and we must not hold back loving one another… trying to avoiding future grief. For the Bible makes it clear that our grief is temporary, while our joy is forever. We have the hope of a marvelous future… knowing that God is able to keep us and those we love for all eternity.

In the love of God… we acknowledge the ephemeral nature of life… and we seek His comfort… As I Pray.

God Bless… I am Wiley’s granddaughter.