(1 Corinthians 13:4) Love is kind.

The Greek word for love in this verse is agape, identifying God’s type of love, not human emotional love.

As 1 John 4:8 tell us God is love, which is the primary overall description of God. God’s love is the umbrella term describing many distinct qualities of God, including kindness.

Many people in our world today lack kindness toward others, because they are self-centered and spiritually empty of the love of God.

Many of us struggle with the idea of a transcendent, all-powerful God being kind, because we often perceive kindness as being mushy and over-sentimental.

We often perceive kindness as a form of weakness, when actually only the strong are kind.

Kindness is not simply being polite and having good manners, which are culturally determined.

Kindness is a heart-based attitude that expresses Gods love toward others, not because they deserve our kindness but because each and every person is created in the image of God.

In this sense, kindness is showing our respect for every human. Biblical kindness demonstrates consideration, empathy, goodwill, and understanding,  

The fruit of the Holy Spirit includes kindness (Galatians 5:22-23).

For Christians, true kindness is not a natural impulse or effort, but it is the outworking of the indwelling Holy Spirit within our lives.

Holy Spirit empowered kindness is a reflection of God’s love for all people.

In this light, the more we mature in Christ, the more we will demonstrate kindness.

We cannot demonstrate God’s love toward others without kindness.

Are you kind?

In a day when love is dying, let’s live a life of kindness as an expression of God’s love, even to the undeserving.