Kindness Doesn't Come Easy - Encouragement Café - May 22, 2015

Kindness Doesn't Come Easy

Café Menu for Friday, May 22, 2015

Today’s Special is: The Heart of Kindness

Carefully prepared just for you by your friend, Dawn Mast

Main Ingredient:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22 NIV

Entrée:

I found out she was sick so I prayed for her. But after my prayer the Lord tugged on my heart about ministering to her.

Take her some soup.

Oh. I don't think so.

Um, Lord, she lives a lifestyle I don't agree with and what if she sees my bringing soup as some sort of evangelism. You know how busy I am. OH! I can't possibly take my children over there! I'm not even sure I have all the ingredients for the really good kind of soup I want to make (because it must be homemade). I'll just pray again....

Take her some soup.

My excuses were abundant and my faith was becoming puny the more I rationalized.

Soup boiled and I stewed. What was I going to say to her? How was this going to look? Me, who never, ever darkened her doorstep, because I, um, perhaps judged how she lived her life, was now bringing her soup. And fruit salad! When did fruit enter the picture?!? This was getting crazy!

I sent her a message and asked how she was feeling and then mentioned that I'd made her some soup and I'd like to bring it over. She was over-joyed and thanked me for my kindness.

I ended up operating way out of my comfort zone, but I grabbed onto the Spirit of kindness and held on for dear life. Being kind is easy for me, but I realized I often pick and choose who I am kind to and that's not OK. When we are called to be kind and to have the spirit of kindness, it's not a part-time gig from a full-time God.

Take Out:

It's effortless to be kind toward someone who is like minded or when it's someone with whom we get along. It's when we are faced with a person who ruffles our feathers or whom we deem undeserving of kindness that we find it hard to extend kindness. When we find it tough to reach out, it's best to pray for a softened heart and an extra measure of grace toward that person you are having unkind feelings toward. Then, reach out in kindness with a pure, genuine heart and with righteous motives.

Dessert:

Father God, we are to be a witness to the world to show Your love and care for others. Sometimes we walk in the flesh and find it so difficult to be kind to certain people. Please soften my heart toward those whom You want me to show Your kindness to so they will see Your love, hope and peace through me. I long to serve You and to reach out in genuine kindness to those who need to know You. Amen.

© 2015 by Dawn Mast. All rights reserved.

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Originally published Friday, 22 May 2015.

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