Love Is Kind
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September 09, 2012 |
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 "Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant." (1 Corinthians 13:4)
In his experiment, Harry Frederick Harlow, an American psychologist arranged for baby monkeys to be 'raised' by two kinds of surrogate monkey mother machines, both equipped to dispense milk. One device was made out of bare mesh wire. The other was fashioned from wire and covered with soft terrycloth. On the first day, the monkeys drank milk from both surrogates, but beginning the next day they clung to the terrycloth mother that was soft and warm.
It showed that even animals prefer soft objects to cold and hard ones. The same applies to human beings who are called the 'lords of all creation.' Rather than the sharp and cold-hearted, they have a preference for kind people and want to rest in them.
1. A kind heart that embraces all people
'Kindness' spiritually refers to the heart that embraces all people and the heart where many people can find rest. For better understanding of it, think about cotton. It doesn't make any sound even if solid objects hit it. Instead, it softly envelopes the object.
A kind heart can be likened to a large tree with much foliage that gives people a place to rest. When it is hot in the summer, people will go under this kind of tree to avoid the strong sunshine and dry the perspiration.
The worldly people think that an introvert who doesn't get angry outwardly and does not insist on his opinion is showing kindness. But men's views of kindness and the kindness God acknowledges are different. It can't be said that we are kind if our kindness is not the one God recognizes, no matter how gentle and kind we look on the outside.
Let's say a person has a passive and weak personality. He follows others' opinions, but suppresses resentment in his heart. We can't say he is kind just because the evil in his heart is held in check and suppressed.
A truly kind person has no evil, is wise, and embraces any evil man with spiritual love. Of course, it doesn't mean that we should unconditionally forgive and cover up others' mistakes. We should sometimes respectfully lead them in the right way. Thus, spiritual kindness is a state of having both kindness in the heart and virtue on the outside.
2. Sanctification is the criterion of kindness
To achieve spiritual kindness, we should cast away evil in our hearts first and become sanctified. Men with kindness are like cotton in that they don't make any conflicts even if others bother them. They can warmly embrace others. They don't argue or make trouble for others since they have no evil.
With hatred, jealousy, envy, self-righteousness, and individual frameworks in our hearts, we can't embrace others. Instead of embracing it is more like the shattering if an object strikes a rock or bouncing off with a clanging sound when it strikes metal. If we have a strong sense of 'self,' our feelings can be hurt if someone makes us even a little uncomfortable. We will pass judgment and condemnation on them rather than cover over their shortcomings.
To the extent that we have untruths, we can't broaden our truthful hearts. Such people are those with small minds and they get angry when they are pointed out. Therefore, a basic criterion to check if you have kindness is having no evil.
God acknowledges that someone is kind after he or she becomes sanctified. This is because we can see others only with goodness and love when we have no evil in our hearts.
A kind man sees others with mercy in every circumstance. He doesn't pass judgment and condemnation and he just understands others with goodness and love. Hearts are melted by such a warm heart. Moreover, when a person becomes fully sanctified, he can receive the Holy Spirit's guidance correctly and lead others to the best way by discerning the situation.
3. Virtue that makes kindness perfect
Here, virtue can be defined as possessing a heart or a behavior that impartially understands and accepts others. It is to have an upright heart and do things right as men. The same applies in the spiritual sense.
People with virtue have upright and impartial hearts and act in accordance with what's right. They don't force others into submission by a show of their power. They speak the truth and show upright actions. They win over others' hearts by understanding and embracing their shortcomings. They give people confidence and receive love.
Virtue is just like an outfit we wear that makes kindness perfect. No matter how wonderful you are if you are in a dirty and shabby outfit, your appearance is undignified. Likewise, even if your heart is very kind, you can't exert your inner kindness if you don't have external virtue.
For example, suppose one has a kind heart, but he usually rambles on unnecessarily once he starts to talk. He doesn't do so with evil, but he lacks social etiquette, which may reduce trust in him. Another may have no ill-feelings and causes no harm to others because his heart is kind, but he doesn't actively help others and lacks consideration of others. These things are attributable to a shortage of virtue.
What if Jesus had had fun with His disciples, made jokes, wore an improper outfit, and dragged his sandals on the street? It would have been very hard for Him to gain respect from people. But He acted with spiritual dignity and authority even on the outside, so other people as well as His disciples couldn't be rude to Him. It is just as written in Matthew 12:19 that reads, "He will not quarrel, nor cry out; nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets."
If a flower doesn't have beautiful color and fragrance, even if it has abundant nectar, it's hard for bees to find it. In the same manner, if we don't have virtue in our words and actions few people can rest in us even if our hearts are kind. Our kindness can't show its power. On the contrary, if our inner hearts are not kind though we look like we have virtue in words and actions it is just a pretense.
4. Blessings given to kind men
What kind of blessings can we enjoy when we become sanctified and have kind hearts with virtue?
Matthew 5:5 says, "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth." Psalm 37:11 reads, "But the humble will inherit the land and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity."
Here, "the earth" refers to heavenly dwelling places and "to inherit the earth" means that they will enjoy great authority in Heaven. This is because gentle and kind men give strength and grace to souls with God's heart. To the extent that we achieve kind and gentle hearts, we can embrace more souls and lead them to the way of salvation.
If we embrace many people, it shows that we've humbled ourselves and served others. Heavenly authority is given to humble men who serve. Just as recorded in Matthew 23:11, "But the greatest among you shall be your servant," you will be a great man when you serve others.
Men of kindness will enjoy great authority in Heaven and inherit the spacious land. Because their souls prosper, everything goes well with them and they will be loved by God and respected by countless souls in Heaven forever and ever.
Dear brothers and sisters, God is pleased with sanctified people with no sin and no evil. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will cultivate your heart into kindness with virtue by quickly becoming sanctified, embrace many people on the earth, and become a great man in Heaven.
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