The Love Doctor Part 3- Love is Kind

Brothers and Sisters, we examined Agape love as being patient in the last post. Let us not forget that patience is long suffering and not easily wounded. Being patient allows us to forgive over and over again without developing a resentment for those who wrong us. Patience allows us to keep our hearts soft and not put up the rocky walls to keep ourselves from being hurt. It is imperative that we allow the holy spirit to keep our hearts soft and forgiving. He will do it if we allow Him to work in us.

Look at the New Living Translation of Ezekiel 36:26

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.



Patience allows us to keep spreading our arms wide, although the subject of our love continually slaps us in the face. Patience in love, is not easy.

Kindness is an equally difficult, but integral part of Agape love. Oh, it is easy enough to be kind when people are kind to us; but Paul did not qualify his statements. Love is kind in the face of the most hateful, demeaning, painful, ugliness a human can endure. Love is kind because love is kind. That is the nature of love. Sugar is sweet, because that is the nature of sugar. That nature does not change when you boil it, freeze it, dissolve it, or put it on Corn Flakes. Love is kind when it has not gotten enough sleep. It is kind when it's needs have not been met. It is kind when it is hungry. It is even kind when it is pain.

Beloved, we live in a society of excuses. We are quick to excuse our unkindness on outside circumstances, or on emotional turmoil.

"I had a headache, and I just wasn't myself, so I said some mean things I didn't want to say."

"I had a lot of pent up anger, so I just let loose."

"My spouse and I had been fighting, I was feeling mad, so I just told him/her off."

"I missed breakfast, and I was not in the mood, so I gave him/her a piece of my mind."

"I didn't have anything nice to say, so I just ignored him/her."

Does any of that sound familiar. These are excuses we use everyday for being unkind. Beloved, this is hard. However, I have come to believe that our unkindness is not a problem, it is a symptom. We are unkind to one another because we do not understand love. Our lack of love is the illness. Being mean is just a manifestation.

We must begin to love one another enough to allow the Holy Spirit to subdue the hatefulness that lies in all of us, both in thought and word. Our flesh will tell us that we must lash out, and vent our emotions on others in order to 'feel' better. But the word of God tells us to 'be slow to anger,' and 'cast all our cares upon Him.' Look at what Jesus says to Peter:

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a]

That is the standard. We should all be striving to meet the standard Jesus set for us. As Christians, we are to work to conform our lives to the mold Christ left for us. This week beloved, I challenge all of you to be mindful of your words and your actions. We are to be 'living epistles,' and God's representatives on earth. The world needs to see God's kindness in us, especially in the face of adversity.

Next week- Is Kindness weak?