Summer Fruit Devotion: Kindness Day 3

Kindness Gives

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Luke 6:27-38

Kindness gives everything without holding anything back or expecting anything in return. Jesus preached this right on the heels of the Beatitudes recorded in Luke 6. These verses so convicted me when I saw that God is “kind to the ungrateful and the evil” and that Jesus wants me to be merciful just like God. What is the measure of mercy? What does Jesus expect us to give? Love, blessing, prayer, my pride, my cloak and tunic, my goods, my money, and forgiveness. Who am I supposed to give all this to? My friends, my enemies, everyone, even the ungrateful and evil. This sounds a lot like what and how Jesus gave. Are we supposed to look for some kind of reward from the people we give to? No. Jesus says it is God who will reward us. That he will measure back to us all the mercy we give and even more.

Journal time. Consider what you give and what you withhold. How can you be more kind, generous, and merciful to those around you, even your enemies?

Pray with me today. Heavenly Father, your kindness turns your enemies into your children. Help us to behave as your kids, merciful like you, generous like you, kind like you. Help us to let go of expectations for gratitude and return of things given. Help us to give without holding back. We repent of hatred and apathy toward our enemies and pray you would give us opportunities to shine your light to them in kindness. In the generous name of Jesus we pray, Amen.