Learning to love others as Jesus loved us is a lifelong adventure. No one comes to a point where they don't need to learn more. But your lifelong education can get a good start by studying the thirteenth chapter of Paul's letter to the Corinthians.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
DAY 2
1 Cor. 13:4b
"Love is kind"
When you learn to love you will be more:
| affectionate | amiable |
| attentive | benevolent |
| bountiful | caring |
| compassionate | considerate |
| empathetic | generous |
| genial | gentle |
| good | humane |
| mild | responsive |
| soft-hearted | sympathetic |
| tender | thoughtful |
| unselfish | warm |
| warmhearted | |
- The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul:
- the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
Psalm 19:7
| Nehemiah 9:17 They refused to obey, And they were not mindful of Your wonders That You did among them. But they hardened their necks, And in their rebellion They appointed a leader To return to their bondage. But You are God, Ready to pardon, Gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, Abundant in kindness, And did not forsake them. | Are you "ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness," even towards those who are hard-hearted, rebellious slaves who refuse to do what's right? |
| Proverbs 19:22 What is desired in a man is kindness, And a poor man is better than a liar. | Would you rather be desired because you wear the "right" clothes, or because you are kind? |
| Proverbs 31:20,26 She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. {26} She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness. | Do you want the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval because your house has the "right" kind of furniture, or because you are kind? |
| Luke 6:35-36 "But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. {36} "Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. | Are you able to be kind to the unthankful and evil? . . . let him ask of
God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. |
| Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; | Are you able to give honor to those who deserve less honor than you? |
| 2 Corinthians 6:6 In all things we commend ourselves as servants of God, by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, | Do you bring commendation to yourself because you have the "right" kind of car, or because you are kind? |
| Ephesians 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you. | All of your sins are offenses against God, yet He still forgives you. Not all of your neighbor's sins are sins against you. Can't you forgive your neighbor for only a fraction of the sins which you have been forgiven? |
| Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; | Being one of the "elect" is not out of your hands. You are not a lizard or a mushroom. You are a human being created in the image of God. Make a decision right now to obey God and ask Him for the grace to be kind, humble, meek, and longsuffering. |
| 1 Peter 3:8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; | Is everybody else wrong and you're the only one who's right? Are you able to walk in the shoes of another, if if your walk might seem harsher? Are you able to love as a brother should, even if your brother never loved you as he should? Are you hardhearted, or tenderhearted? Are you courteous, kind and respectful? |
| 2 Peter 1:7 to godliness [add] brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness [add] love. | 2 Peter 1:8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither
barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Have you made a resolution to be neither barren nor unfruitful? |
| 1 John 3:16-19 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. {17} But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? {18} My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. {19} And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. | The world says "one bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." Are you willing to part with the material thing you have now, believing that God can give you two, three, or four times as much later on? Are you becoming more able to lay down your life for another? Or are you moving in the opposite direction, becoming more concerned to preserve your own life even if that means disobeying God? |
| 1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. | Jesus endured the Cross, a form of murder and torture. If he loved us this much, can't we endure the whining or nagging, or embezzlement our neighbor puts us through? |
Kindness/Gentleness:
The Fruit of the Spirit
| Some Christians say we are not obligated to obey the Laws of the Old Testament, we are only obligated (no . . . not "obligated," but "it would be better if we decided to") bring forth the "Fruit of the Spirit" mentioned in Galatians 5. But by refusing to listen to the Words the unchanging Spirit authored before Christ, the "Fruit of the Spirit" is distorted. The only way to bring forth the Fruit of the Spirit is to obey God's Law. | Matthew 5:17-19 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the
Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. {18} "For assuredly, I say to
you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the
law till all is fulfilled. {19} "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these
commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but
whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. |
| All of the Fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5 are commanded by the Law of God in the Old Testament. Paul had nothing less in mind than obedience to the Scriptures. By making "kindness" optional, modern theologians dilute God's sovereignty and depersonalize man. | |
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| When God says "A gentle answer turns away wrath," He isn't just making an idle observation. If the LORD says it, we had better obey it! | Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. |
| God tells us that He is gentle, and since we are to be like Him, we are therefore to be gentle. | Psalm 18:35 You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your
right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great. Psalm 145:17 The LORD is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works. |
| The New American Standard Version translates this fruit of the Spirit as "kindness." If we wish God to be kind to us, then we had better show kindness to others. | Psalm 18:25 With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; With a
blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; Matthew 6:14-15 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. {15} "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. |
| If a mere man said that kindness was desirable, I might pay him attention, but I might not. But when God speaks, I dare not ignore Him. | Proverbs 19:22. "What is desirable in a man is his kindness." "Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck." Proverbs 3:3 |
| The Prophet Hosea says that the LORD commands kindness: | Listen to the Word of the LORD, O sons of Israel, for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no faithfulness, or kindness, or knowledge of God in the land. Therefore, return to your God, observe kindness, and justice, and wait for your God continually." Hosea 4:1; 12:6. |
| Paul's letter to the Galatians was not the first time mankind had been told to be kind. The Old Testament Prophet Micah said we had already been told: | "He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?." Micah 6:8. |
| The same Greek word used in Galatians 5:22 is used in the Greek Old Testament, where in Psalm 37:3 and 119:66 we are told to love kindness. | Psalms 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and be kind; Dwell in the land, and feed on
His faithfulness. Psalms 119:66 Teach me kindness and knowledge, For I believe Your commandments. |
| The Word of the LORD came to Zechariah saying, Thus has the LORD of hosts said, Dispense true justice, and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger of the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another." Zechariah 7:8-10 | |
The weapons of our warfare against the Old World Order are not manufactured by the Military-Industrial Complex (2 Corinthians 10:4). They are manufactured each day of our lives, as we respond to the ignorance of others with gentleness.
Romans 13:8-10 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. {9} For this,
it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely,
- Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
{10} Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
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