“…the fruit of the Spirit is…kindness…” Galatians 5:22

DURING A RECENT topical conversation on bitterness, one lady mentioned that “Instead of lowering yourself to the standard of how others treat you with contempt, ‘kill’ them with kindness; nothing hurts them more than when you do that.” While sounding plausible from one aspect, it is actually one of the greatest forms of ill-will; it is staggeringly unethical in comparison to the one who has blatantly caused the injury because of the bad motive behind what appears to be admirable.

It is our motives we shall be held accountable for, not so much by how much ‘good’ we may have done. “Actions speak louder than words we are told in the axiom: but, with God, motives speak louder than either” – Arthur Neil. Much of what passes for good is an abomination in God’s eyes; what is praised by many in churches today will never receive the smile of God and much of what Christians have done in the name of charity unto others have already received their ‘honour’ in this life (voiding the true reward in heaven) because it was performed with wrong hidden motives. Not a few will be shocked on that Great Day when Christ turns away great numbers who did many works in ‘His’ name (Matthew 7:21-23). “…each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward” (1 Corinthians 3:13-14).

“Let love be without hypocrisy”, the Scriptures state, “Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection” or as the King James has it: “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love” (Romans 12:9-10). There is only one way love can be genuine and that is to filled with God Himself and brotherly affection is to have no other motive than to see the other person advance and prosper spiritually, not just in the physical domain. Our hearts show their true colours as to whether or not we can “rejoice with those who rejoice or weep with those who weep” especially during our losses.

One of the genuine hallmarks of being filled with the Holy Spirit is kindness which is never mixed with bad motives. Notice what precedes the other characteristics from that list in the 22^nd verse of Galatians 5: love; love is the motive of all, not by human standards but God’s, for it does not seek its own advantage or welfare but of the other person instead. Love has no ulterior purpose for self-gain but is sacrificial and pours out every resource to benefit others; it is giving nothing but the best. How different from the worldly mentality that earmarks the best part for itself. Some Christians are not exempt from this; there is nothing as injurious sometimes when some brother or sister in the faith gives something from the ‘bottom of the barrel’ knowing they have reserved the best portion for themselves. To not give liberally from the heart joyfully and unconditionally proves the missing DNA of kindness.

When returning good for evil, it should never be with the intent that the ‘burning coals’ torment the perpetrator, but rather, it is with the hope they be led into repentance, reconciliation and restoration, with God first and then man. Beware of the ‘Jonah’ mentality, that after having shown mercy in return for unkindness, a grudge and fear arises lest the people should change for the better and know the blessing of the Lord instead of judgement. Nothing but The Lord’s loving-kindness has led us to a renewal of heart and the weight of that glory bears significance in how little or much we reciprocate that untoward others, Christian and non-Christian alike.