Love Is Kind_ Spiritual Love (3)
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January 27, 2019 |
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 Senior Pastor Rev. Jaerock Lee
"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant," 1 Corinthians 13:4
One of Aesop's fables is about the sun and the wind. One day the sun and the wind made a bet which of them could make a man take off his overcoat first. The wind went first, and triumphantly puffed up and sent out a strong enough blast of wind to topple a tree. But the man buttoned and wrapped himself in his overcoat even more tightly. Next, the sun just smiled and gave off warm sunlight and the man soon removed his overcoat.
This story gives us an important lesson. The wind tried to blow off the man's coat on its own, while the sun let the man take off his coat by himself. Spiritual kindness is the power to move the heart of someone with goodness and love and gain his heart without any force or threat.
1. Kindness to Accept Everyone
To be kind here refers to the heart in which you can accept everyone and many people can find rest. One dictionary definition refers to 'to be kind' as 'to be of a sympathetic or helpful nature; to have a forbearing nature; to be gentle.'
Mentally picture cotton in your mind and you can better understand what kindness is. Cotton makes no sound no matter what kind of hard materials may strike it, so it can accept every person. It is like a tree under which many people are able to dwell and rest. On a scorching summer day you discover a broad, tall tree whose leaves are deep green. If you hide yourself under the tree and escape from that scorching sunlight, how cool and happy you will be! In the same way, many people desire to find comfort and rest in a kind person.
In the world, when a man is so gentle and mild that he doesn't get angry with anyone who bothers him and does not insist on his own opinions, he is said to be a kind person. But no matter how mild and meek he is, if that goodness is not recognized by God, he cannot be deemed to be really kind.
Spiritual kindness is to have no evil in heart and to be wise so you do not stand against anybody but accept them. You cannot be considered kind just because you unconditionally understand and forgive others. You must also have the righteousness, dignity and authority to be able to guide and influence others. So, a spiritually kind person is not only gentle, but also he lives an upright and exemplary life.
Spiritual kindness is to have meekness in heart as well as virtuous generosity on the outside. Even if you possess a kind heart having no evil, if you have only inward gentleness, that gentleness alone cannot make you embrace and have a positive influence over others. Only when you have outward virtuous generosity, can your kindness be perfected and you show greater power. If you possess virtue along with a meek heart, you can gain the hearts of many people and accomplish great things.
Many people think that it is love to understand, forgive and cover others' transgressions and to be warm and gentle. But true love does not accept unrighteousness. For this reason, God, who is Love Itself, sometimes gives us unfailing love and mercy but sometimes strictly judges sinners of their sins. When God lets you pay for the penalty for your sins, it is such a great love of God to lead you to life.
Just as justice and love are mutually supportive, it's the same with kindness and virtuous generosity. When you not only abound in love and mercy by accomplishing a good and meek heart, but also possess virtuous generosity by which you can guide people to the right path, your kindness is perfected and you can share true love. In other words, you can lead many people to the path to salvation and true life and give them true rest.
2. Holiness Is Key to Spiritual Kindness
In order to cultivate kindness, first of all, you have to get rid of evil from the heart and become sanctified. Cotton is soft and does not insist on its own shape. In the same way, a sanctified person does not confront anyone who tries to quarrel against him. If you have a sharp heart of hatred, jealousy and envy or a hardened heart like self-righteousness and self-centered frameworks, you can't embrace others.
If a stone falls down onto the other solid stone or a metal, it makes noises and bounces off. In the same way, if your ego is still alive, you make noise and cause troubles no matter how little discomfort the other causes. Towards the people who have some transgressions, defects and faults, you may not cover or understand them but judge, condemn, gossip against and slander them. This heart that is illustrated has too small a vessel to contain something. Or it has too many things already and there is no more room to accept others.
With this kind of heart, if others point out your mistakes or shortcomings, you get offended easily. If others whisper among themselves, you wonder whether they are talking badly about you. You might even just pass judgment that they are talking about you.
Therefore, having no evil in heart is the most basic condition of having kindness. Only with kindness can you see others with the eyes of goodness and love. Those who are kind see others with mercy and compassion. They don't have any intention to pass judgment. They just try to understand in goodness and love, and thus, even the heart of evil ones will melt away by their warmth.
Especially, it is imperative that those who are in teaching positions cultivate holiness of heart. They can't discern the right choice properly to the extent that they have evil, thereby being unable to lead the souls to the green pastures and quiet waters.
Only when you have become sanctified, can you clearly hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and guide other souls to the best way. You can be deemed meek and kind by God only when you have sanctified your heart.
3. Virtuous Generosity Perfects Spiritual Kindness
In order to cultivate kindness you should not just become sanctified but also cultivate virtuous generosity. A person who has virtuous generosity has an upright mind and is unbiased in his ways, so he acts according to the proper duty of man. He does not conquer others by physical force, but gains many people through proper words and deeds by understanding the shortcomings of others and embracing them. He can be trusted by many people and is worthy of their favor and recognition.
No matter how great and handsome you may be, if you are naked, you can be put to shame. Kindness and virtuous generosity are the same. Suppose one's heart is very kind, but when he speaks he tends to speak many words that are not really necessary. Though he does not have malicious intent, he doesn't appear thoughtful or well-mannered. Some others may be so kind that they have no ill feelings against anyone and cause troubles to no one. However, if their consideration for others as in actively helping others is lacking, they have difficulty earning the heart of others.
If the flowers' colors are not outstanding or their scents are not sweet, no matter how much nectar they have, it will be difficult for them to attract bees or butterflies. In the same way, even though you have kindness without evil in your heart so that you can turn the left cheek when someone slaps you on the right cheek, that kindness cannot be brought to light without virtuous generosity. So, when you are equipped not only with inward kindness but also with outward virtue, you can be deemed truly kind and display true value.
Joseph was hated by his half-brothers and was sold into Egypt as a slave. And yet by God's help he became the Prime Minister at the age of 30. If he had shown even the slightest transgression or error, it would not have been easy for him to keep that position. Joseph was very kind, humble and blameless in his words and deeds. Also he was full of wisdom and the dignity worthy of a ruler.
He had the greatest power only next to the king but he neither tried to rule over the people with his power nor arrogantly boasted of himself. He was strict with himself, but benevolent and generous to others. That's why the king of Egypt and his other ministers were neither watchful nor jealous of him. Instead they favored and trusted him. Their trust is well illustrated by seeing how they welcomed Joseph's family when they moved to Egypt.
Virtue prevented Joseph from judging and condemning others with his own standard even though he was upright in his words and deeds. This characteristic of Joseph was well represented in his ways of dealing with his brothers who had sold him. Joseph had more than enough power to make his brothers pay for their transgression against him. And yet he tried to give them a chance to destroy the wall of sin between themselves and God. Instead of disciplining them carelessly or forgiving or embracing them unconditionally, he arranged everything to bring benefits to them in accordance with the will of God. Through his efforts, the brothers regretted and repented of their transgressions.
Joseph not only forgave them from the heart but actively practiced goodness by measuring the heart of his brothers and comforting them with touching words. In other words, Joseph had become wholly sanctified and had no evil at all, so he not only possessed a kind heart to forgive his enemies, but he also possessed outward virtue capable of moving them with a good heart and deeds. Joseph's kindness that was accompanied by virtuous generosity not only rescued many people in and around Egypt from severe famines, but it also made it possible for the amazing plan and providence of God to be achieved. Virtue that is expressed outwardly together with active deeds of kindness within the heart enables amazing things to happen.
4. Holiness and Good Heart-Vessel for Virtuous Generosity
Inward kindness is cultivated through sanctification of the heart. Virtuous generosity can also be possessed when you cast off evils and become sanctified. There are some of you who are able to show virtuous deeds through your cultural training, refinement and education, or because you were born with innate broad-minded nature, even though you have not become sanctified. But true virtue comes from the heart in which there is no evil at all and through which you follow goodness and truth.
In order to cultivate virtuous generosity one has to abstain from every form of evil (1 Thess. 5:22), and be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect (Matt. 5:48). When you have thrown away all kinds of evils from the heart and also become blameless in your words, deeds, and behaviors, you can accomplish kindness in which many people can take rest. So, you should not be satisfied when you have cast off the evils such as hatred, envy, jealousy, arrogance and hot-temper. You have to take off all deeds of the body and accomplish the deeds of truth (Rom. 8:13) by receiving the guidance of the Holy Spirit through the word of God and fervent prayers.
The deeds of the body include not only evident sins but also all kinds of incomplete deeds. If you habitually tap on the person to whom you are talking or if your voice is too loud all the time, you are causing discomfort to others. Those who are virtuous are well-mannered and are upright, and so people want to find rest in them.
Also, you have to cultivate the character of your heart to possess virtue. The characters of heart refer to the size of the heart. So, the better your heart's character the bigger the size of the heart is. Some of you can do more than expected according to the character of the heart. But some others do just the things assigned for you or somewhat just less than that. So, you should not only look after your own personal matters, but also be concerned for others (Phil. 2:4).
This character of heart can differ according to how much you broaden your heart in all circumstances, so you can change it through continual efforts. If you have impatiently looked out only for your own personal interests, you should pray and change your narrow mind into a broader one so that you can first consider the benefit and situations of others.
If you cultivate virtuous generosity along with a kind and blameless heart, you can rule over and take care of a big organization, too. They are a must for leaders.
5. Blessing for the Kind
Matt. 5:5 says, "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth," and in Psa. 37:11, "But the humble will inherit the land and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity," The land here symbolizes the dwelling place of the kingdom of heaven, and inheriting the land means "enjoying great power in heaven in the future."
A kind person strengthens other souls with the heart of our Father God and moves their hearts and leads them to salvation. The kinder you become the more souls will take rest within you and be guided to salvation by you. Authority in heaven is given to those who serve others, so more you serve, the greater you become. A kind person will be able to enjoy great power and inherit the broad and wide land as the dwelling place when he reaches heaven.
The authority on this earth is very likely to disappear along with the loss of wealth and fame. However, the spiritual authorities that follow a kind person are different. They neither disappear nor change. He is prosperous in everything as his soul prospers. He will be greatly loved by God forever, and be respected by countless souls in heaven.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Those who have inner kindness and outward virtuous generosity will gain the heart of the many and accomplish great things. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will cultivate kindness to enjoy great authority in heaven and draw closer to the throne of God!
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