Pastor’s Corner – March 7, 2024
The Fruit of the Spirit Part 5
How do we know that Jesus, Immanuel (God-with-us), is really with us? Paul answers that question beautifully in his letter to the disciples in Galatia who must have been wondering the same thing. Paul writes: the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). When we experience any of these gifts in our daily lives, we know that Christ’s Spirit is at work.
The fifth fruit of the Spirit is kindness. Kindness is the practical application of grace, God’s unconditional love. Jesus demonstrated kindness at every turn: he made room at his table for those who normally were kept out, he was moved with compassion (which means “to suffer with”) to feed the hungry and heal the sick, Jesus brought peace to the troubled and fearful, Jesus was patient with his disciples, and he willingly followed a path of self-giving love.
Jesus invites us to be kind at every turn. In fact, kindness is an excellent spiritual practice for the season of Lent. Let us open our eyes to the many ways God through Christ has been kind to us and then pay it forward. It can be as simple and profound as a smile, a note of encouragement, a word of appreciation, a helping hand, or even allowing another to help you. All of these and so many more are ways to join Jesus in the ministry of kindness. And don’t we know what a lasting impression kindness makes?!
Yours in Christ,
Marc
