Well, thanks again for joining us on our podcast and whenever you listen to it, whatever time of day, whatever day you listen to, We're glad you joined us. we've talked about this before, mentioned it, and it's no big surprise, but we live in a world that is filled with division and people just don't get along. I mean, if you don't agree with somebody's sentence down to the very last word of that sentence, you're in opposition to them and it creates division wherever you go.
Is it called civil discourse? Is that what it used to be called? It doesn't exist anymore.
The whole idea of being kind to one another and being able to dialogue about things that you may be on different sides of the fence on and then walk away realizing that you may agree to disagree those days are gone because now if you disagree then you are persona non grata
yeah and kindness that's an interesting word because I don't think it exists much anymore in this world and yet scripture is filled with the word kindness from a couple different perspectives one how we treat one another we're to be kind to one another. But then the whole concept of the kindness of God towards us
and we all want God to be kind to us, right? And in keeping with his character, he is there are many attributes of God. Kindness is one of them.
and there are other attributes. It's hard to think about kindness and God's wrath. You think of those to together, they seem like they bounce against each other. But if we are treated with the kindness of God, the grace and mercy of God. Why is it then as believers, and I'm not talking about people who don't follow Christ, but as believers, why is it such a struggle for us to be kind to other people, especially people that have a different view on life and possibly God? why have we become part of the same culture of heads and being angry and writing angry texts and angry Facebook posts and Twitter, a lot of, you know, vile emotions come out on Twitter. Why is that as believers? What's the problem?
Well, I wonder if we really do understand what the kindness of God means? I mean, we think of I think we tend to think of the kindness of God meaning I had a good day today.
something positive happened for me, myself, for my family, for a good friend, and that was God's kindness. But there's so much more. There's a richer, deeper understanding of the kindness of God that I think often times we don't think about. In Roman chapter 2, Paul is talking and he's talking about the need for us to come to repentance obviously but he says that do you presume on the riches and the kindness and the forbearance and the patience not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.
So there's a sense in which the kindness of God should change my behaviors. When I do sin I ought to repent. Why? Well, because I've experienced a kindness and the patience of God himself.
So I wonder for us as believers filled with God's Holy Spirit how that can translate to us. and it also brings me to the to look at how Jesus reacted towards people when he met people that were opposed that opposed him. the Pharisees, the Sadducees, I mean he was honest and truthful with them but he never demeaned their character. He was speaking about their heart and the choices that they made that were sinful and against God. I think about Jesus meeting the woman at the well. I mean he knew everything about her and yet through that whole discourse there he treats her with such kindness and he asks her the next question. He keeps asking her that next question. look even how he dealt with Peter when Peter denied him. he the passage in the gospel says that he looked at Peter when Peter was down in that courtyard. Just this a picture in my head. Peter's down in that courtyard with all those people and the scripture says that he looked at Peter with love. That's something that we struggle with.
Yeah. It's kindness towards others exposes what I think we don't want to look at. And that's what many call relational sin.
we don't we excuse away our behaviors towards others. We excuse away the mean words we say. or the condescending way we talk to other people and we fail to remember that it's God who has shown us kindness
with his because it's his forbearance. It's his patience. All those things wrapped into what it means to show kindness to somebody else.
Okay, let's bring that to street level then. How does that how does that fit us? How are we supposed to respond?
Well, I my thing is I need to be very careful in checking my spirit as to whether I'm running the show or whether I'm allowing the Holy Spirit to lead because truthfully if it's up to me in my heart and my spirit I don't have that kind of behavior I don't have that kind of character but when the Holy Spirit is released within me the word that is often used I'm filled with the spirit to me it's a sense of surrendering control and allowing the spirit to lead then I can respond in a way that shows kindness to people that aren't easy to be kind to.
Okay, so you're at Harris ter and you are getting ready to get online. You have two items and a woman with 25 items or a man can be either one or a teenager all of a sudden cuts in front of you online. How do you treat them with kindness? What do you do with that? Because that's a real life thing,
right? Well, I'm glad you didn't use a driving ex example because driving examples to me are written somewhere in scripture that they don't apply.
Babe, you're going to have to deal with your road rage there. If anybody can help us with that, please dial 99999999.
how do you deal with it? How or how should you deal with it? it's going to stir something in me if or if I'm in a express lane checkout and it says 10 items or less and the person in front of me has 25 items, I want to point them to the sign and go, "Do you not see what the sign says?",
and how do you say that, babe? Because right there looked a little judgmental.
Yeah. Well, it probably was, but yeah, it's real life. And again, I don't know that Jesus offers exception clauses,
right?
So, so that's my point is we would excuse that away and say, well, I have every right to
yes
get angry. I have every right to be condescending or be judgmental in the way I speak to that person. The problem with scripture is there's not exception clauses. It doesn't say show kindness to somebody who's nice. It doesn't say show kindness to somebody who's following the rules. It says show kindness. It's part of the fruit of the spirit.
And let's not forget the you know when somebody sins against you, turn the other cheek.
Yeah.
Like a bazillion times.
Wow. Yeah. So that's where I'm going. I think that faith, we all say we want to live by faith. Living by faith in the real world, in the mundane activities of a day, not the big event. But in the mundane activities of the day puts I believe to a test our willingness to allow the Holy Spirit to take the lead and not lead out of our own nature but allow the spirit of God to lead. And without the spirit of God leading I don't know that we can live that way.
And I think that if we look at scripture and see what the benefit of God's kindness was, not only God the Father and his kindness towards the nation of Israel and us as well by sending his son Jesus. We look at the kindness that Jesus showed it. It was a catalyst for change. It was a place where when Jesus entered a place, people were struck by his of course his wisdom, his knowledge, everything. He was sent from the father. But they were also struck with the way he loved them, the way he treated them. He saw them. And often times he touched them physically. And for us, we're so in this day and age, well, there's so much arguing going on about everything, but we don't take the time to really look at people and realize even that person who cut on cut in line in front of you, there might be a reason why they're in a hurry that we don't know. And I know that maybe people are like, "Get over it, Suzi. Just get online." But for me, I want to be able to look beyond their behavior and treat them the way I am treated by Jesus every day because he looks beyond my behavior because he's paid for that sinful behavior. look beyond that and have a vision for me. Jesus does has in his design. But if we could even in that millisecond think of someone in a different way than just well that annoying person just cut in line in front of me. And the thing that I love about Jesus ministry on the earth is the way he saw people and he had to be kind in order to do that because if you're surirly no one's going to let you close. But I think about okay we're back at Harris ter and the girl on the counter or who's taking your money and you know doing your food with the scanner thing. She's you say, "Hey, how are you?" That typical exchange we always do. Well, usually before you are ready to finish the sentence, they've already said fine.
Well, what if you take a second, take a breath, and you ask the next question? What could come out of the next question?
Yeah. I mean, it's a great it's a great point. And other than the person behind you getting mad because you're taking up the time and not letting the wine go.
Yeah, but that's when you say to them, "Look, I'll pay for your groceries. I just need to have a conversation here."
You might want to check how many groceries are in.
That's true. If it's the guy with 25 now.
No. Yeah. It's a reality. It's a practical everyday reality that we all tend to overlook or excuse away that what we're saying to you on this podcast is pay attention to how you treat others
and kindness. And maybe you mentioned Peter earlier To me, the greatest kindness that Jesus showed was after Peter betrayed him.
Yeah.
And it's after he's resurrected from the grave and they're at the seashore and he restores Peter. That was the kindness of God.
Yeah.
Saying that's the kindness of God that leads to repentance and he restores him and he uses him. So today, think about kindness when you interact with other people.
Have a great day. Thanks for joining us. To learn more about the Struggling Well podcast, visit tandemspirituality. com.