Lesson #10 – Kindness

1. What kind of person are you?

  Are you predominantly sweet and kind or are you quite often rude and mean-spirited?

~ Prov.6:24 / Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

  “Many, if not most, family problems could be solved or at least eased by a king tongue.” / Leroy Koopman

~ Concerning the virtuous women, Proverbs 31:26 declares:

She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

~ John Milton wrote of “apt words” with “power to suage (assuage) the tumors of a troubl’d mind.”

2. Has kindness become a forgotten virtue?

The exhortation to be kind abounds in Scripture.

Eph.4:32 – And be kind to another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Col.3:12 – And so, as those who have been chosen of God…put on a heart of compassion, humility, gentleness and patience.

Col.4:6 – Let you speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how to respond to each person.

1Pet.3:8-9 – To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kind-hearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing..

2Pet.1:5-8 – Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence,

knowledge; and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness;

and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.  If these qualities are your and are increasing,

they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

  What causes us to lose our kindness?

~ Impatience? … Self-centeredness? … Thoughtlessness? … A lack of love? … A retaliatory spirit?

? Think - - When you last spoke unkind words, what provoked or prompted such on your part? ?

3. Was Jesus a KIND person?

  Was Jesus not the very personification of kindness? – cf. 1Pet.2:23

~ Can we be Christ-like and not be kind?

~ Is un-kindess a serious blemish?

~ Is it SINFUL to speak unkind words?

  What animates (brings to life) kindness?

~ In response to the question, “What commandment is foremost of all?” (Mk.12:28 & 30-31), Jesus answered - -

‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’

The second is this, ‘you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  There is no other commandment greater than these.

~ cf. 1Cor.13:1f / If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have LOVE, I have become a noisy gong….

4. Better sweet than bittersweet!

  “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” / Ben Franklin

~ How much better it is to speak kind words, than to speak unkindly and have regrets.

  When we do stumble and speak unkindly, are we eager to ask for forgiveness?

~ When was the last time you apologized for speaking harsh and unkind words?