4 Vital Mindsets of Kindness

By Sean

Kindness is becoming scarcer and scarcer as each day passes in our world today. It is a virtue that not everyone inherently possess. You’ll be amazed to know that some people are even asking the question “How can I be kind?”

“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.” – Galatians 5:22-23

Kindness is not a Personality

Branding someone as kind does not mean that the person is born that way. Doesn’t mean that you can’t be that way. It is not just a form of behavior.

Kindness is a lifestyle. And this lifestyle is made up of little choices. Choices that are made in surrender to the character of Christ everyday.

“Being kind is more important than being right.” – this is what my girl always tells me. And I believe her. Kindness is more important than being right. Why? Because kindness is a shard of grace in action. It is a sight to behold when it is in play.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” - 1 Corinthians 13:4

Kindness is a manifestation of love. Love is a manifestation of Christ.

Kindness is Most Powerful in the Proactive

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” - Luke 6:31

It doesn’t say ‘don’t do unto others’ because this verse takes on the proactive mindset. Christ tells us to DO. Do kindness. Be kind to others. Kindness in action is most powerful in the proactive. When it is especially not needed. It is then when the grace of God is most seen.

Kindness Goes Beyond Reasoning

It goes beyond understanding too. Because it can be practiced without it. You don’t need to reason out to yourself to be kind in order to be so. You don’t need to understand the situation in order for you to be so. Just be so.

A Natural Outflow

A fruit doesn’t have to be forced out by a tree so that it would come out. It’s a natural outflow of how healthy the tree is. It is also defined by what the tree is. A mango is produced by a mango tree. A coconut is produced by a coconut tree.

Being a fruit of the Spirit, Kindness should be seen in our lives. If our lives are healthily centered in Christ, it will naturally flow out of our actions.

“Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.” - Matthew 7:20

If the fruit is the product of the tree, kindness should only be a product of Christ likeness.

Kindness is a lifestyle rooted in the Character of Christ.

How come I find it so hard to Trust God?

By Sean

A lot of people wonder about their faith. How come I find it so hard to put my trust in God? How come I don’t feel my faith?

This entry has been inspired by Ravi Zacharias’s preaching ‘Barriers to Belief’

Naaman, the Leprous Commander

“Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.“ - 2 Kings 5:1

Naaman was a great man. He was highly esteemed in the eyes of the king. A powerful man – he was a military general. He had many, many victories. He was also leprous.

“Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” - 2Kings 5:2-3

And Naaman, being a man who was well-off, sought healing. He wanted to be cleansed of his leprosy.

“So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” - 2 Kings 5:9-10

He went to Elisha because he believed that Elisha could heal him. But there was a problem.

“But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.” - 2 Kings 5:11

In the eastern culture, it was customary to greet a person of great importance as they arrive at the door. Elisha sent a messenger to Naaman. Probably his servant. Signaling that Elisha did not really care about the importance of Naaman. And to top it off, he was asked to dip himself in the dirty, muddy, Jordan river.

You see, Naaman was also a proud man. Pride is the one distinctive that brought even Lucifer to his fall.

“Pride is like a cancer that will rob you even of common sense.” - C.S. Lewis

God has a way of denting the pride – He struck Naaman with just a touch of leprosy to remind him of his finitude. And when Naaman did not like God’s way on being healed from his leprosy, he got angry. He did not want to do it God’s way. He wanted God to do it his way.

Most unbelievers are willing to go God’s way if God goes their way.

And sometimes, even with us Christians, whenever things go tough, we do not want to follow. Our faith does not translate into action when it is no longer easy for us.

Our trust in God falls short.

Laying bare

You see, when Naaman goes to that river, he all of a sudden has to take off his medals and take of all his uniform.

The uniform tells us who he was.

The medals tells all he’s done.

All of a sudden he’s without both.

Suddenly he realizes he’s just like everybody else.

When you realize your finitude, that is when you realize your dependence on God. That is when you realize that all things is under His sovereign will. That is when you realize, you need to put your trust in Him.

Putting your complete dependence in God has a lot to deal with how you look at yourself and how you look at God.

If you see yourself as how Naaman saw himself without his medals and uniform, you will realize your finitude and your need for God.

If you see God as an all-powerful, almighty, sovereign, loving God, who cares about you and knows where you are in life, you will be able to trust Him.

Faith is a matter of the heart and mind. It deals with humility, trust, and and accurate fear and knowledge of God according to His Word.

How do you Know if what you Feel is Genuine Love?

By Sean

There are a lot of people today wondering about their feelings for someone else.

There’s a young teenage girl who is puzzled by the lack of feelings she has for a guy with whom she was wild about. But the minute he showed interest in her, she lost interest.

There’s a young mom who’s experience of diapers and midnight feedings aren’t any fun. They ask “Am I low on love?”

This entry has been inspired by Max Lucado’s book ‘A Love Worth Giving’

How do you answer the question of love? Is there a way to assess that quality of your affection? A DNA test for love perhaps?

“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” – 1 Corinthians 13:6

The apostle Paul says there i a test for love.

Want to know if what you feel is genuine love?  Ask yourself this: “Do I encourage this person to do what is right?”

For true love “takes no pleasure in other’ people’s sins but delights in the truth” - 1 Corinthians 13:6

One lady calls another and says “We’re friends, right?”

“Yeah, we’re friends.”

“If my husband asks, you tell him we were together at the movies last night.”

“But we weren’t.”

“I know, but I was, well, I was with another guy and – hey, you’ll do that for me, won’t you? We’re friends, right? Tighter than sisters, right?”

Love doesn’t ask someone to do what is wrong.

“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” – 1 Corinthians 3:16

If you find yourself prompting evil in others, check yourself. This is not love. And if others prompt evil in you, be alert. This is not love.

“Whoever loves a brother or a sister lives in the light and will not cause anyone to stumble.” - 1 John 2:10

“You are sinning against Christ when you sin against other Christians by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong.” - 1 Corinthians 8:12 NLT

Do you want to know if your love for someone is true? Ask yourself: “Do I influence this person to do what is right?”

If your answer is yes, congratulations – you are practicing the right kind of love in your relationship with that person.

When God’s Word got Lost

By Sean

There are many Christians who know the Word of God. Christians who memorized Bible verses, teach in Bible studies, serving in ministries, facilitate in retreats – and yet when you look closely at their lives, something is wrong.

“While they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the temple of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord that had been given through Moses.Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.” He gave it to Shaphan.” - 2 Chronicles 34:14-15

The background of this verse is, King Josiah was trying to repair and restore the temple. It is such a puzzling thing that the priest ‘found’ the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord. Nothing is found that is not lost or hidden. In this case, the Book of the Law was lost – in no other place but in the very temple of the Lord!

How did that happen?

Isn’t the Book of the Law supposed to be what is discussed in the temple of the Lord? Then why has it just been found? Why was it lost? And the worse thing is, it got lost in the very temple of the Lord.

Somewhere, something has gone terribly wrong.

You see, Israel went astray and had gone against God to pursue the worship of other gods. Detestable gods. These gods are made out of iron, silver, gold, or wood – the same wood that you use in your fireplace. The same wood that you sit on. These gods are man-made. And the Israelites worshiped them – putting them as a higher authority in their lives than the living God who blessed them with the land that they are living in.

King Josiah made a revolution. This revolution was for the country of Israel to turn back to God. It was a 100% change. A 180 degree turn.

During this revolution, the Book of the Law was found again.

What does this have to do with you?

There are a lot of times when we put some thing above God – a relationship, a game, a career, a business, a group of friends, or what have you. These things are man-made. Why put them in the place of God in your life? Why put them in the center of your heart?

Somewhere, something will go terribly wrong when you substitute God with a man-made idol.

Even as Christians, when our lives are supposed to be led by the Word of God, sometimes it gets lost in the rubble of our idolatry. And when it does, we need a 180 degree turn. Go back to God.

Check yourself. Is God’s Word still in its right place in your life?

Make sure it does not get lost in the very temple of our Lord.

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” - 1 Corinthians 6:19

How do you Change your Life?

By Sean

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden of Eden, it roots to much more than just the act. The act is a symptom – but what is the cause behind it? Is it pride? Selfishness? Is it rebellion?

This entry has been inspired by a podcast series of Ravi Zacharias - to you, I give my sincere thanks for your wisdom and for your defense of the faith.

The fall of man did not start from the disobedience. No, that was the trigger. The real fall of man was when they chose to call God a liar. It was when their faith was overcome by doubt and lies. Remember what the Serpent said?

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” – Genesis 3:1

The Serpent sowed seeds of doubt in Adam and Eve and accused God. Then the Serpent laid down the biggest temptation to Adam and Eve.

“For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” – Genesis 3:5

The Biggest Temptation

Is the desire to define what is good and define what is evil for themselves.

Nowadays, society is redefining what is good and what is evil.

The world calls masturbation good. The world calls sex before marriage good. The world calls business under the table good. The world calls bribing policemen as good and wise. Society has changed morality – what is called good and what is called evil has been re-defined and re-named by society.

The Naming Process

Abortion has renamed the child within as a ‘product of love’. Adulterous relationships have been renamed as extramarital affairs. Naming is a very important part of our lives.

Remember when Adam named all the animals? He called it what it is. Remember when God had Moses write down the Law? He named every violation as what it is.

The naming process is a sacred one. When Jesus renamed Simon as Peter, He was doing something more than just changing a name – He was changing an identity. When God calls you His child – He is changing who you are. You are no longer a child of this world. You have a new name. A new identity.

The naming process can alter what you believe in. It can soften it up. It can harden things and slam it to your face. The naming process deals with the heart.

Society is trying to change what we believe as good and what we believe as evil – and this will ultimately change how we live.

An evil person lives in an evil way because what he believes is true is a lie.

A good person lives in a good way because what he believes is true is the truth.

Know the Truth

Where do we find truth? Who has defined good? Where do we find the standard? The definition of good and evil?

There is only one moral law giver – God. His Word is the ultimate authority when it comes to morality.

Therefore what God has called good, let us not call evil. What God has called evil, let us not call good.

There is only one Truth – Jesus Christ Himself.

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” - John 14:6

Naming influences what defines you. Naming influences what you believe in. Call things what they are in light of the Law of the Lord.

How do you change your life? Change what you believe in. Know the truth – what is good? What is evil?

Put your faith in God.