Jun
18

So How Random Is It?

kindness

“Random acts of kindness”.

 

I remember hearing this term for the first time years ago. Evidently, it began in the early ’80’s when an author wrote the term on her placemat in a Sausalito restaurant.

 

As we think of kindness as one of the spiritual fruits given to us by God, how random can kindness actually be?

 

To the Creator of all kindness, this virtue is never arbitrary or accidental. 

 

God is kind (Nehemiah 9:17). It’s just Who He is. And (so much unlike me), He is that way all the time (Isaiah 54:8). 

 

He never wakes up in a funk. (I suppose part of that is because He never sleeps…..Psalm 121:3).

 

No matter what goes down or what we do, His kind nature toward us can’t be overturned (Isaiah 54:10). And because He knew that we would be so slow in realizing His kindness toward us, He sent His Son to live and breathe it in a way that we could touch and feel (Ephesians 2:7). 

 

When we think of Jesus’ kind acts, they were never random either. Every single action was specifically directed by His Father. Matthew’s account of His feeding the five thousand included Jesus looking up to heaven before breaking and distributing the loaves (Matthew 14:19).  Could it be that He was actually clarifying how the Father wanted it accomplished?

 

Jesus never said or did anything on His own initiative (John 12:49; 8:28).

 

Everything was from direct prompting of His Father. 

 

If then our model is to be Christ, how much randomness should their be to our kindness? 

 

Granted, sometimes the urging of the Spirit may take us by surprise. His prod may take seem unplanned to us. But, God’s ways are never random (Isaiah 55:11). And His kindnesses aren’t either. 

 

They are regular and new every morning (Lamentations 3:22). 

 

So then, for those of us who are His children, we should be practicing Spirit-directed acts of kindness.

 

Because, after all, those are in-line with the good works that God has planned for us before the catchy phrase was ever coined (Ephesians 2:10). 

 

So tell me, what strategic acts of kindness have you witnessed lately?

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Jun
14

What I Heard

apple fruit

I was a very immature sixteen-year-old.

 

So, when the Father said:

 

“I chose you …to bear fruit…that should remain.” (John 15:16)

 

I heard:

 

“Kandy, you are to evangelize the world.”

 

I mean after all, that is what my church taught me “fruit” meant.

 

If you have been a Christian for any length of time, you have probably wandered down this same path.  God says something and you use your own frame of reference to interpret what He really meant. (Am I right?)

 

It would be years (and I mean lots of them) before I realized that when He said fruit, He meant just that:

 

The Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

 

God always says exactly what He means.

 

On the other hand, we are brilliant at varying the message.

 

For instance, when we Christians interact on social networks, how often do we practice a greater boldness toward shifting someone’s point of view than for performing the gentle virtues of joy, patience and self-control?

 

I’m disturbed by the tit for tat attacks that we “Christians” proclaim in the Name of the Gospel. Rather than exemplifying our Master, who “did not revile in return…and uttered no threats” (1 Peter 2:23), we have plenty to say about governmental or religious points of conflict. Unfortunately, these slide into “outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions and factions” more often than kindness, goodness and gentleness. And (ahem) notice which camp that righteous indignation falls into (Galatians 5:19-20). (It’s not the good one; I can tell you that).

 

Our Father is more concerned that we respond to our family member with kindness, than fight for our rights at work. He is more satisfied when we have patience with our dementia-ridden friend than when we skillfully use apologetics in the airport. We please Him more when we push away from that slice of chocolate obsession cake than when we repost a critical political jab. 

 

Fruit-bearing is far more straightforward than we make it. 

 

In essence, it’s merely saying “Yes” moment by moment to the urges of the Spirit. 

 

Yet, in that basic simplicity it is also very, very hard.

 

For spiritual fruit-bearing is also saying “No” to what you may really, really want. 

 

The great thing about the call of God is that He only holds us responsible for the obedience of the moment. We don’t have to worry about whether or not we’ll be “enough” for tomorrow’s challenges. He’s only concerned with our lives as they are right now. 

 

I think that I can submit to Him right now.

 

What about you?

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