◄ Harmonious Duet of Kindness and Goodness ►

Be ye kind one to another….. tenderhearted, forgiving…
Eph.4:32

For the fruit of the Spirit is … GOODNESS…
Gal.5:22

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering..
Col.3:12

And to godliness add brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness add love.
2Pet.1:7

Desirable Characteristics

Love is kind, and one very precious fruit of the Spirit of God is goodness. Kindness and goodness seem to be analogous qualities of the Spirit. Kindness and goodness run in tandem together. Both are characteristics that we should wholeheartedly desire. Both are the fruit of the Spirit that we should emphatically pursue. Kindness and goodness combine to affect our inner disposition.

Gracious Behaviour

Goodness and kindness amalgamate to influence our outward conduct. These qualities that we all desire are opposite sides of the same golden coin. They blend together, to compliment the other – and act individually to glorify God. They are the quiet sisters of love and joy and faith and self-control. They often hide behind the skirts of faith, forgiveness, peace and long-suffering. These ‘twins’ when assimilated in the heart make us well disposed to the needs of others. These two graces enable us to produce acts of thoughtfulness.. and gestures of love. This duet works in partnership to gently compel us towards godly acts.

Perfect Example

We are told to be imitators of God, as His beloved children. Paul tells us in Eph.4:32: be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another..even as God for Christ’s sake, hath forgiven you. Our Lord Jesus is indeed the perfect example of these two graces.. for He went about doing good and healing all oppressed of the devil… for God was with Him. Acts.10:38. Kindness and goodness are both such positive qualities. It is not so much the absence of evil – but rather the presence of grace.

Expression of Mercy

Oh that this fruit might develop to its fullness in each of us.. as we seek to draw close to Him in this season of our earthly lives..as we watch for the Lord’s return and as we listen for the trump of God. We should be quick to follow His blessed example if we were always good and kind. We would not consider the evil that men have done unto us.. we would seek the opportunity to meet the cries of the needs of others and we would search for ways to demonstrate the mercy of God through little acts of kindness.

Gentle Attitude

It would soften our attitude towards those whom the enemy manipulates to despitefully use you. It would soothe the heart of hurting loved-one. It would quiet the spirit of those that are sad. It is not natural to be virtuous and kind.. to be merciful and of great goodness.. for Paul reminds us in Romand 3:10 that there is none good – no not one..and yet he reminds us in Philippians 4, that we can do all things through Christ, who gives us the strength.

A Spiritual Gift

It is not normal to allow the fountain of our goodness to fall on all that we meet. To some we may show great kindness.. but less to the one we thoroughly despise.. Ah, but in Acts.10:34 we read that  God is no respecter of persons, while Jesus tells us in Matthew 5 that: His rain falls on the just and unjust alike, Matt.5:45.  And so for us, we ought to be kind and good to all that we meet.  Goodness only needs a little opportunity to act. Kindness is only a gracious reaction to a circumstance or need. Both thrive in the man or woman that esteems the other as better than themselves. One delicious fruit of the Spirit is the conjoined grace of kindness and goodness.. and the Holy Spirit is He Who dwells in the heart of each believer.

Precious Manifestation

How needful for us all to invite the Spirit to work deeply in our hearts and lives.. so that goodness and kindness be increasingly manifested in each our lives. May He shed abroad His precious fruit more abundantly in all our hearts.. so that we produce fruit, more fruit and much fruit.. much of the fruit of kindness and goodness, for herein in the Father glorified. John 15:8.  And when should we seek after the harmonious duet of kindness and goodness?   Well. behold, now is the accepted time - behold, now is the day of salvation.

An Instruction From Paul

Give no offence in anything, that the ministry be not blamed, but in all things – Approving ourselves as the ministers of God… Behold – this is the way we should live…. In much patience; in afflictions; in necessities; in distresses; in stripes; in imprisonments; in tumults; in labours; in watching.. in fastings.  By purity; by knowledge; by long-suffering; by kindness – by the Holy Ghost; by sincere, genuine, agape love; by the word of truth; by the power of God; by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left;  by honour and dishonour; by evil report and good report. As deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying – behold, this is the way we should live.  As chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. O beloved, we have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open. So pursue after kindness and seek after goodness – in Him.