1 Corinthians 13:4 says, Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,

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1 The Chord of 3 Goodness, Kindness, and Gentleness Series: Fruit of the Spirit (Part 5) I recently read an article about an artist, who, through grafting, created a tree that produces up to 40 different stone fruit. Imagine going into your backyard and picking cherries, apricots, and peaches off the same tree. And that s just getting started! The fruits, goodness, kindness, and gentleness are kind of like that tree. They are so closely related it s hard to explain one without including the other. If an individual exemplifies one of these fruits, the other two will also be shown. With this said, we will cover all three in this study. 1 Corinthians 13:4 says, Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, What do we learn to be the root of kindness? Kindness, goodness, and gentleness, are all an outflow of a heart rooted in love. Love is not stale or stagnant. It is alive and active. It is constantly producing something good. If we look at our lives and it appears there is no fruit, we need to examine the root of our heart. Is it set in love? Because love will always be manifesting itself through these three fruit one way or another. Kindness is loving concern for others. It is treating others with gentleness rather than being harsh. Jesus told a parable in response to a lawyer s question about eternal life. Read Luke 10: In verse 33, what did the Samaritan have that the other two didn t? There was something inside the Samaritan that was not found in the others, and it made all the difference for this hurting man. Because of the compassion he had, what was the Samaritan compelled to do for the injured man?

2 We often relate gentleness with weakness or timidity. Perhaps a little old lady on a rocker mindset. Gentleness has nothing to do with appearance but rather an attitude of the heart. The Samaritan showed great kindness towards a man he didn t even know. Kindness compels action to those in need. Doesn t matter the color, age, background or status. It doesn t see with selective eyes; it sees based on the need of the moment. It comes alongside those who are lacking, and does all that is in their power to help. Kindness is not seen in only the big ways, but also in the simple, everyday ways. It s simply showing tender concern for those we come across. Coming alongside them and bandaging what s broken, lifting up what s hanging down, or speaking a word of comfort to those that are downcast. How might you, in a practical way, show kindness to someone in your life? Has anyone shown you great kindness? How did it effect you? Ephesians 4:32 reads, Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Being kind is followed by tender-hearted and forgiveness. Kindness to others is seen in the not so big ways simply by our not taking offense to others words, or being quick to forgive an offense. These are the hidden kindnesses we extend to others. Kindness is a state of the heart. It s not only seen outwardly by our doings, but also in the hidden crevices of our heart in how we deal with the shortcomings of others. Do you believe kindness is limited to believers? Why or why not? Read Luke 6:27-36 What three groups of people are to be included into our sphere of kindness?

3 In what three ways are we to treat them? Have you ever had to put this principle into practice? How did it affect your relationship with this person? I had a boss in my early twenties who never learned that if you didn t have anything nice to say to not say anything at all. Often he made a point to mention my, as well as another young coworker s, mistakes in front of others. She confided in me once that she went home in tears. He wasn t necessarily trying to be mean, and was a good boss overall, but he didn t use caution with his words. Needless to say, he got under my skin sometimes. I was a mature enough Christian to know that harboring unforgiveness was not right. I prayed for him. I prayed really hard for my heart to not become bitter. Praying for someone who is not nice is one of the hardest things we ll ever be asked to do. The feelings aren t there and it s hard to get motivated. We don t want to see this person blessed, we want the very opposite to happen. But if we want good fruit to grow, we must align our heart with God s word. It s in these trying times that we are most ripe for a harvest. It s here that the Holy Spirit takes every advantage to produce good fruit in our heart. When we yield to His guidance in these hard moments, our heart yields the best harvest. Yielding to the Holy Spirit s leading in these situations, is the prime condition for Christ to be formed. I tell my kids that when you re in a situation that requires you to respond either from the flesh or the spirit, choosing to obey the truth causes our fruit to expand in us. We give more space in our heart to allow the fruit to grow. When we chose to act according to our flesh, we quench the Spirit s work in our lives. We prevent Him from producing good in us. Look what Jesus said in verse thirty-two. Loving those who are kind, good, and loving, comes easy-natural. Kindness breeds kindness. Jesus puts a much higher standard on His followers. He has set the bar high. Jesus stretches us in a way that we never would be stretched otherwise. Our kindness to even our enemies does not go without reward. God s watchful eyes is upon His children, approving and pleased when we walk this way.

4 Why is it important we show kindness to everyone? (vs ) Let s take a close look at Gentleness. What image do you have of a gentle person? Gentleness is better translated meekness and is twofold. It is an attitude of humility and submission to God, and an act of self-control with others. Not being harsh with our words or easily angered by those who cross us. In the face of offense, not giving in to any drive to retaliate. It s seen as someone taking control over their responses when injury is inflicted. Even a willingness to suffer harm instead of inflicting it on another. Gentleness is submitting our own will to the will of God in every matter. God has given each of us a mouth, a will, the ability to respond how we fell. But for one to submit to the Father is to put a constraint on these instruments, and bow to the will of the Father. Philippians 4:5, Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Can a person be bold, courageous, and strong and still be gentle at the same time? Why or why not? Have you ever come in contact with someone who was strong and gentle? Our submission to God benefits others. We no longer respond according to our own ways, which are often harsh and self-centered. Some think gentleness means to never confront or speak truth, if it offends someone. This isn t true. Jesus spoke truth, and offended many, and yet was deemed gentle. It s all about our attitude towards the other person. Speaking and acting in a spirit of love will reflect gentleness at its best. This brings us to Goodness. Goodness is to excel in kindness. Having such a high standard of moral that it causes us to act on the benefit of others. Goodness comes from the greek word agathosune and is defined as uprightness of heart and life causing goodness to our neighbor. It always has someone else in mind. Do you see how closely related goodness is to kindness and gentleness? They each reflect a changed life. A heart that is alive and seeking the welfare of others takes the attention off ourselves.

5 Galatians 6:10 says, So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith. Who are we to especially extend goodness to? This verse states the focus of our goodness: all people, but then puts a special emphasis on those that belong to God. It s important we don t forget the very needs of those in our church fellowship. So often our focus is outwards that we neglect those sitting right next to us. The beloved hold a special place in the heart of God, and they should ours as well. Goodness is not limited to giving to the poor. Showing goodness may not even be a planned event. Goodness is simply a waterfall that flows from the life of a believer splashing on whoever gets in our way. When it s all been said and done, why do we do what we do? Our good works are to bring attention not to ourselves, but to God. They point others to their Creator. Our Good, Good, God. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:16). We are humbled and blessed to be the instruments God uses to bring light to the world.