JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Key Element for Thriving Relationships is Kindness.
This quality is identified in the fruit of the Spirit, showing tender concern for others. Kindness causes us to take notice of the person who feels forgotten or to be gentle with the person who feels anxiety.
Kindness is refreshing for someone who is beaten down by harsh words and discouraging influences.
Kindness is life-changing for someone who recognizes their need for God’s grace. Romans 2:4 tells us that the kindness of God leads us to repentance.
Because of God’s kindness toward us, we can be a voice of kindness and refreshment for others. Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Kindness is a key element for thriving relationships that honor God.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Relationship-Building Principle comes from First Corinthians 13:4.
“Love is patient, love is kind.”
With love, we recognize that people are in process. They have room for growing in maturity and character development, just as we have room for growth in these areas. With patience, we give our friends and neighbors time and opportunity to grow. We work with them so that they might develop into the kind of person that God calls them to be. Jesus is our ultimate example of patience. Mark 16 says that as the disciples went out and preached the Gospel, the Lord worked with them. He was working with men who had room for growth.
With love, we also exercise kindness. This means that we have a friendly disposition in our relationships. We show consideration for the needs of others, and seek to be a blessing in their lives. There is great influence in kindness. Romans 2:4 talks about God’s kindness leading us toward repentance. Lives can change in dramatic ways when kindness is expressed in our relationships.
Patience and kindness are qualities that benefit our marriages, family relationships, and friendships.
Exercising patience and kindness is a relationship-building principle to take to heart in the Year of Connection.
John Shirk
john@wjtl.com
