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A WOMAN’S JOURNEY WITH GOD Focus Verse: "My Father, You are the Lord my God. I desire to love You, to listen to Your voice, and hold fast to You, for You, Lord, are my life". Deuteronomy 30:20 "An Amazing Walk in Kindness and Goodness" Study Text: "See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to everyone else." 1 Thessalonians 5:15 "We have proved ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, our sincere love, and the power of the Holy Spirit." 2 Corinthians 6:6 Introduction: Every morning, as a little girl leaving for school, my parents would pray with me, give me a hug, a pat on the head and then say, "Be good, be kind, and remember who you are". Their prayer was that I would be for that day "a little girl who walked with Jesus". Being good was not a major challenge for me. I was a naturally born "pleaser" and would be broken hearted if I displeased Jesus and my Mommy and Daddy. Being kind was another story. Children can be cruel to each other. Because I was tall for my age, very skinny and had big feet, I was teased and ridiculed unmercifully. Add also to my appearance four front bucked teeth, and you can begin to imagine the comments, riddles and hurtful remarks that were hurled at me because I looked different. I found it extremely difficult to be a kind little girl at school with some of my classmates. It has been said, "Sticks and stones may break our bones but words will never hurt us". As adults, we know this is an untruth. Words do hurt, sometimes deeply, and to respond with kindness is not a natural human reaction. Pray: The American culture has changes dramatically since I was that little girl. Bullying is happening every day amongst our children. It is frightening to all parents across our nation. We need to pray earnestly for the children. "They are a heritage from the Lord." (Psalm 126:3 NKJV) Pray for their protection. Pray that angry, hurting children will be introduced to Jesus’ love by one of His followers. Could that follower be you? Kindness and Goodness are closely connected words. For kindness the word is chrestotes, which is commonly translated goodness. The Rheims version of our study text, 2 Corinthians 6:6 translates it sweetness. The whole idea of the word is a goodness which is kind. Jesus showed chrestos when He was kind to the sinning woman who anointed His feet at the home of Simon, a Pharisee. (Luke 7: 36-50) William Barclay – Daily Study Bible In Study #5, we addressed "An Amazing Walk in Patience". As we face people each day and experience any pain they may inflict upon us, we are to be patient and be careful not to do anything sinful or harmful when provoked. Kindness and goodness are the actions of patience in dealing with the people in our life. Word Meaning: The English dictionary defines the adjective "kind" as warm-hearted, friendly or generous in nature. Theologians and Christian writers have defined kindness as tenderness, concern for other people, a sweetness of disposition and a matter of the heart. It is the virtue of the person whose neighbor’s good is as dear to him as his own. We are Called to Kindness: Just as our Lord Jesus is kind, we as His daughters on this "amazing walk" are called to be kind, too. Kindness is one of the basic Christian virtues that helps govern human relationships. "Since God chose you to be the holy people whom He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience" ( Colossians 3:12 NLT). Therefore we are to put on kindness in all our relationships. In our walk with God, kindness is not an inconvenience to be avoided, but a characteristic to be embraced. It is an approach to people that is fundamentally right and proper. The Hebrew word for kindness means literally, "To bow the head, treat courteously and appropriately." If this definition is taken seriously, it is easy to see that unkindness is inappropriate in all relationships and situations and kindness is a mark of our Christian walk. God is Abundant in Kindness: "You are God, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness…" (Nehemiah 9:17b NKJV) Kindness played an important role in the Old Testament understanding of God’s character. God made a covenant with His people, Israel that He would be their God as they were to be His people. The covenant made clear that, of all the nations of the world, the people of Israel had a special and unique place in the plan of God. He had set His love upon them through their father Abraham. The long history of these people shows emphatically that they had by no means been what God had hoped they would be, but nevertheless the covenant of Jehovah had stood firm. The word used to describe this is hesed, sometimes translated "kindness", loving-kindness," "love and mercy." "God, God, a God of mercy and grace, endlessly patient – so much love, so deeply true – loyal in love for a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin." (Exodus 34: 6, 7 The Message) As we read the New Testament, we discover over and over again God’s divine kindness (chrestotes).
Ponder: What is it like to be yoked with me at home, on a committee at school or church or in a neighborhood group? I am valuable to others or an additional burden? Am I easy to be with and kind or quarrelsome and difficult? Kindness means making life easier for others – not harder – just like Jesus.
Acts of Kindness: The apostle Paul tells us how to experience "an amazing walk in kindness" as we journey with eternity in view. The is a verse worth memorizing. "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." ( Ephesians 4: 32 NKJV)
A visit to a Salvation Army corps for a youth program inspection, proved to be a God encounter for my husband and me. When we arrived as asked for the Major, the secretary informed us that he was busy for the moment but would be with us shortly. As my husband walked around the facility, he saw this caring officer in the shower room off the gymnasium. He was holding up a homeless man, who had but one leg, so he could have a refreshing shower. A picture we will never forget of an "act of kindness"…caring, sharing, touching…in the name of Jesus. Pray: That in this "amazing walk in kindness", you will be a woman who looks out not only for your own interests, but also for the interest of others. (Philippians 2:4) Quote: In a world where there is far too much anger, rage and hostility, those who live effectively are refreshingly kind. They would agree with the philosophy of novelist Henry James who noted: "Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind." (Seven Habits of Highly Effective Christians, Victor Perachin, The War Cry, June 21, 2008) Word Meaning: According to Webster’s definition, goodness is "the condition or quality of being good; virtue, benevolence, or excellence. Theologian Dr. Lightfoot suggests that kindness is a quality of heart and emotion, whereas goodness is a quality of kindness in action. Although the noun appears only four times in the New Testament, the adjective agothos appears one hundred times. For example, we speak of a good tree (Matthew 17: 17) , a good man (Matthew 12:35) , a good servant (Matthew 25: 21) , a good teacher (Mark 10:17). Thus goodness takes it’s meaning from the context in which it was used. (Life in the Spirit, Bramwell H. Tillsley) We Are Called to Goodness: God designs our life according to a plan. He uses people, events and circumstances of our life to guide us along this amazing walk as we strive to be holy. As we walk we listen to His voice, we pray in His name, we follow His leading and bear fruit for His glory. "Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your gracious (good) Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing." Psalm 143: 10 NLT) Our walk with God requires many choices on our part as we constantly look to Him, asking Him to guide us as we seek to do what He desires from us. We are instructed many times in Scripture to practice good works. "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2: 10 NKJV) Goodness is Spiritual in its Source: "Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The goodness of God endures forever." (Psalm 52:1) " Goodness" – The same Hebrew word elsewhere translated as "loving-kindness".
Thy loving kindness is better than life, From Genesis to Revelation we read the story of God’s gracious goodness. We discover as well that God’s goodness is the opposite of man’s badness. This is why we need spiritual help from God. Our sin makes human goodness impossible. "There is none righteous, no, not one…..there is none that doeth good, no, not so much as one." (Romans 3: 10,12 Phillips) Praise: Offer a prayer of praise for God’s grace and the Holy Spirit’s power which enables you to display genuine goodness – His goodness. "How great is Your goodness, which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in You." (Psalm 31: 19 NIV) Praise Him for His strength, which gives you courage, and His power which enables you to understand goodness. Goodness is Doing: Our "journey with God" must be a testimony to the truths of our relationship with Him. He dwells in us, His presence goes with us and His goodness flows from us. Goodness puts God’s love into actions. Frederick Coutts, eighth General of The Salvation Army, described goodness as " love with her sleeves rolled up." The good Samaritan did something about the need (Luke 10) ; the good Shepherd sought the sheep that was lost (Luke 15) ; the good and faithful servant did something about the talents that had been given him (Matthew 25) .
Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, Scriptures for "An Amazing Walk in Kindness and Goodness":
Historians tells is that no one treated Lincoln with more contempt than did Stanton. He referred to Lincoln as a "low, cunning clown" or the "original gorilla." Lincoln said nothing but continued to treat Stanton with every courtesy. Eventually he made him his Minister of War because he was the best man he could find for the job. When, some years later, the assassin’s bullet murdered Lincoln, Stanton stood in the little room to which the body had been taken and was heard to whisper: "There lies the greatest ruler of men the world has ever seen." Stanton had been won through kindness being added to goodness. Remember: What we are not by nature we can be through God’s grace! There will be a goodness about us that is only explainable by the presence of the Spirit of God! Prayer: Oh that I might know You, Lord. I desire to press on to know You more. I believe that as I obey You – every path You guide me on will be fragrant with with You truth, Your goodness and Your kindness. Help us to help each other, Lord, each other’s cross to bear;
September Study |