Welcome to This Is The Way episode 33!

Kindness, man. It’s hard to be kind sometimes. Especially for extended periods when you’re surrounded by people who love you, and you love them. Another translation of kindness is brotherly affection; this means making yourself useful on someone else behalf because you care for them. It’s like if you had a brother who kept doing things that messed up his life, you should call him out on it, he’ll keep him accountable, encourage and strengthen him. Not only tolerate whatever it is he’s doing.

Tolerating is not love. Kindness is not just superficial niceness. You can’t just slap on a smile and grin a bear it. Maybe that’s why kindness is hard for me; I’m not very thoughtful, I assume people know that I love them, but have I expressed kindness to them? Have I purposefully sought out opportunities to show affection and be helpful and useful? If strength is for service, then how am I using my strengths to serve others? Am I operating in my strength, or am I relying on God to give me strength, to be my strength? Am I aware of the areas that God is working in my heart to either improve or expose a lack of kindness?

Love is patient and kind. The second word used to describe love is ‘kind’. Would others use ‘kind’ as the second word to describe me?

God help me to be kind today, fill my heart with love, brotherly affection, kindness, and a desire to serve others. Renew my mind, so my speech is filled with kindness, restore my soul. Remove the anger, anxiety, bitterness, and comparison. Transform me and sanctify me to look more and more like Jesus, content, humble, loving, honest, truthful and gracious. Help me to forgive as I have been forgiven, to let go of grudges. Help me to show grace just as I have received grace. Help me to be kind.

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I'm looking for people to give little (5min) devotional this month on solitude of kindness.  If you're interested or know someone who might be, let me know: [email protected]

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