I can be kind!
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (NIV)
Kindness is a quality that every one of us can experience and express in our lives. I know this is true because God has shown me how to be kind. It started with my little sister. If you have a sister or brother, then you probably will understand my situation. I’m the oldest child in my family, and I have one sister who is three years younger than me. I love her deeply and really can’t remember not having her in my life. We are alike: we look alike and sound alike and dress alike and love the University of Texas Longhorns with the same passion. We love our parents and now we love each other’s children. We are also different: she is short and I am tall; she keeps her thoughts and feelings to herself and I am more open and outspoken. When we were young, we argued and got on each other’s nerves. This is when the quality of kindness started to enter my mind. Each day I would wake up and say a little prayer to God something like this: “Today, I am going to be kind to Tracy all day.” Well, you can probably guess what happened. Before lunch, I would use harsh language with her or let her get under my skin. By the time I was middle-school age, I realized that it was impossible for me to be a good sister by myself. My inability to be kind on my own, led me to ask Christ into my heart – to forgive me for failing to be kind to Tracy and to help me live a life of love.
At about the same time that I prayed and invited Jesus into my heart, I began to read the Bible regularly. I learned in Galatians 5:22-23 that kindness is what the Bible calls “a fruit of the Spirit,” along with love, joy, peace, patience, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. God promises to fill us with these wonderful qualities by the Holy Spirit. I also found that I am drawn to the stories of brothers and sisters in the Scripture. Cain and Abel (Genesis 4), Mary and Martha (John 10-11), Jacob and Esau (Genesis 27-30) all fascinate me because I am a sister. In Genesis 4,God asks Cain why he is angry at Abel. God wants Cain to deal with his anger toward his brother and be at peace with Abel. This story reminds me that God wants us to get along in our families. Read it for yourself and see what you think.
At about the same time that I prayed and invited Jesus into my heart, I began to read the Bible regularly. I learned in Galatians 5:22-23 that kindness is what the Bible calls “a fruit of the Spirit,” along with love, joy, peace, patience, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. God promises to fill us with these wonderful qualities by the Holy Spirit. I also found that I am drawn to the stories of brothers and sisters in the Scripture. Cain and Abel (Genesis 4), Mary and Martha (John 10-11), Jacob and Esau (Genesis 27-30) all fascinate me because I am a sister. In Genesis 4,God asks Cain why he is angry at Abel. God wants Cain to deal with his anger toward his brother and be at peace with Abel. This story reminds me that God wants us to get along in our families. Read it for yourself and see what you think.
My faith story today is that my sister is my best friend. Praise God for helping me be kind!
Prayer: Dear God, I need help being kind, loving, and patient. Thank you for giving me your Holy Spirit to fill me with love that changes the way I think and feel and speak to others, especially the ones who are closest to me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Written and Submitted by: Teresa Rossy
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