“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you”  (Ephesians 4:32)

In a letter to the Galatians Paul notes kindness as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Gal 5:22-23). To strenghten his point Paul could have cited a particular inspiring example from the life of King David.

When David was forced to run into exile, pursued by King Saul, one of Saul’s son, Jonathan was kind to him. Where Jonathan would have seen David as a rival, at the risk of his life, he “made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord take vengeance on David's enemies”  (I Samuel 20:16). Unfortunately Jonathan would perish during Saul’s last war. When the the throne eventually passed on to David, one of his first act was to be kind to one particular member of Saul’s household. “David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” ( 2 Samuel 9:1).

A crippled son of Jonathan was ushered before him. Immediately David promised, “I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table”   ( vv 7). And so it were!

Like David, kindness is that fruit of the gift of the Holy spirit, we must all share. Kindness differentiates children of God from all the mean haters and lovers of this world. It is a sign of our gratefulness for all the love God has shown us.

Prayer today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, as you are kind towards me today I pray to share that kindness in return as a sign of gratefulness, this I pray in Jesus’s name!