Kindness

I read the story of a man who wanted to have his own avocado tree. He loved avacodos. He went to a nursery and walked through the rows of avacodo saplings. After extensive questioning of the sales person and carefully examining the trees, he finally picked the tree he wanted in his yard.

He planted the tree and tended it with care. He kept it well watered and applied avocado-tree fertilizer. He sprayed it for bugs and whatever the tree needed he gave it. The tree produced an abundance of fruit and he was well pleased.

There is an expectation that as Christians we will bring forth fruit that is pleasing to our Lord. The apostle Paul wrote, "The fruit of the Spirit (in the life of a Christian) is love, joy, pease, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." These are important and need to be present in our lives as we mature in the faith.

One fruit of the Spirit that stands out this time of year is "kindness." We hear said sometimes, "He or she has a big heart." I heard on the news this past week of a man in a large city in Florida who was providing meals for the homeless. A man with a big heart. Many also volunteer their time to serve Thanksgiving meals for those who otherwise would not have a Thanksgiving dinner.

Kindness is an action word. It is about showing love to others. In his list of what love is, the apostle Paul said, "Love is kind." (I Cor. 13:4) "lf a brother or sister is without clothing and destitute of daily food and one of you says to them, 'Depart in pease, be warmed and filled,' but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit." (James 2:15-16)