Love Is...Kind

The second word in our definition of love, found in I Corinthians 13, is kind. Love is kind. Yesterday we learned that love is patient. I don't know about you, but I find it kind of hard to be kind and impatient at the same time. Funny thing is, patient people are usually kind people. There must be something to this order of things. God never does make a mistake, even in the tiny details.

Some great verses for us to start off with are Colossians 3:12-14. "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive each whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."


Kindness and patience are threads of love. They weave together, along with other virtues that we'll discuss later to create perfect unity. Want unity in your relationship? Make sure you don't have a snag or that you're a little thread bare. These verses give us a clearer understanding of how kindness works alongside patience and for the ways kindness is displayed.


Kindness is shown when we bear with each other (even when the other person's acting like a growly bear) and when we forgive each other. After all, we have been forgiven. "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus." That's found in Ephesians 2:6-7. Did you catch that..."the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us." This kindness equals a rich kind of love.

Let's also talk for a second about the why. Break down that word. Kind-ness. There was a song when I was a teenager, I think it was INXS--"You're One of My Kind." The way we live, the way we express love, shows what kind we are. Or what kind we aren't. I can display kindness because I'm the kind of girl who follows Christ. I make the choice to act in a manner characteristic of my "kind". My God is kind, my Savior is kind, I must also be kind.

Kindness or kind-ness, however you want to look at it, it's one of the most important ways we show love. Harsh words don't convey much love. Neither do harsh actions. Oh, but the gentlest squeeze of the hand conveys more love than a thousand platitudes ever could.

Love is kind.

And remember one more verse, "A kindhearted woman gains respect." (Proverbs 11:16)