“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:32
“Do you know how to work one of these things?” she said to me as I rolled down my window. “I think so,” was my reply. Now, the pressure was on. Did I really know how to work the car jack she was holding? My wife and daughter both had surprised looks on their faces as I opened the truck door and reached for the car jack she was holding. They were both well aware of my limited mechanical abilities. But, the right thing to do was to change the flat tire.
Kindness comes in a variety of packages. In his book, “The World’s Most Powerful Leadership Principle,” James Hunter makes a case for love in leadership. Hunter explains love is a verb, and not the syrupy sweet romantic comedy emotional sort of love. Too often, we see love as just a feeling or an emotion rather than a set of behaviors we live out. In 1 Corinthians 13, the Bible defines love in a broad set of practices. Take a look at the passage, read it slowly as you think about those you love.
“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Whoa! When we speak of love in terms of our behavior and actions it looks a lot different. Don’t misunderstand. Feelings have a right, even vital, place in our love for someone. Our hearts should soar with emotion towards those we love. But it is our behavior that is the accurate measure of our love. Jesus put it this way, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” In other words, don’t tell me how much you love me; show me!
One of those behaviors in 1 Corinthians 13:4 is kindness. Our 2020 culture has lost its kindness. When was the last “act of kindness,” we performed for someone? When was the last time you were kind to God? Yes, if we love God, we should, by definition, perform acts of kindness for God.
Hunter defines kindness partly as “giving attention to others.” He goes on to say, “Far and away, the greatest opportunity we have every day to pay attention to others is in how we choose to listen.” Often, we are guilty of selective listening, hearing only what we want to hear. Other times, we are busy formulating answers to questions others are not asking us as they speak to us. In short, we don’t listen very well.
When we listen well, we afford others the opportunity of being heard. Kindness is shown by listening to their ideas, thoughts, input, dreams, fears, and concerns. Listening at this level is perhaps the single greatest kindness we can pay to another individual. Listening to God demonstrates the same kindness to him.
My Grandmother, Ethel Rogers (aka “Nannie”), lived on this planet for 103 years. She began reading through the Bible when she was a young lady and continued to do so year after year. Church in her younger years was limited mostly to a small one-room church that met for a Bible study and had the occasional traveling evangelist stop in for an extended stay. Other than that, you were on your own with God.
Over her lifetime, I would estimate she read the Bible through no less than sixty times, probably more. Not too shabby for a person born in 1908 without electricity and running water. She read in the early days by candlelight from a Bible purchased from Sears and Roebuck. Often she read into the night with one of five children in her lap as she rocked them to sleep. Through the years, she wore out many Bibles from handling, turning pages, and listening/reading God’s word each day.
As a second-year college student at Southern Methodist University, I came to live with my grandmother. I witnessed her each evening as she prepared for bed, sit down and take out her Bible and read. Her rule was to read a minimum of two chapters each evening regardless of how she felt. Some days, she read more but never fewer than two chapters. Her goal was to read the Bible each year, which she did with astounding success. She had no guide, no log, no extra tools, but her faithful submission to the Lord to read and listen to Him each day.
Without saying a word, Nannie set the example and led me to begin reading/listening to the Bible.
“And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.”
Nehemiah 8:3
Throughout the Scripture, we are instructed to listen. There are also many examples of public Scripture reading; Nehemiah 8 is only one. It was necessary in ancient times to read the Scripture to audiences and individuals. The printing press was not yet a reality, and a copy of God’s word was not readily available. So most people lived their lives only hearing someone else read the Word of God.
Listening to God through his word is an essential discipline and necessary for spiritual growth. I believe it is a demonstration of our love (the kindness of listening) for God as we endeavor to know him better.
Years ago, I learned to listen to the Scripture being read to me while I followed along in my Bible. I continue this practice today. I find this practice of listening and following along in my Bible incredibly powerful and helpful to understand the Bible and to know God better.
For those of you who like numbers, here are a few. Most narrators read the Bible on average in 75 hours or less. No small chunk of time to be sure. However, if a person listens to the Bible while following along for just over 14 minutes a day, they can listen to the Bible in one year. This calculation includes intentionally or unintentionally missing one day per week! It makes reading the Bible through in a year a breeze. It also helps with name pronunciation and makes some of the more difficult reading easier to navigate (think Leviticus or Ezekiel). It pulls you through the Bible.
Further, as I have shared this practice with others, they discover not only are they more consistent listening/reading the Bible, but they complete the journey through the Bible multiple times per year, and their familiarity with Scriptures increases dramatically.
Most importantly, listening/reading is a demonstration of kindness to the Lord, which is rewarded by a rich and fulfilling relationship with Him who loves us intensely.
the-lamp-lighter.com 
Jeff,
Can I ask you what tool do you use to listen to the Bible?
Skip
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Skip,
I use the Scourby You Bible app every day. It is simple and will produce an audio reading plan for 90 days, 180 days and 360 days. Super simple. Downside: only available in KJV and it is expensive at $20.
There is also the you bible app. It has a lot of options. People love it. The audio is not as customizable as the scourby app. Upside: it is free. A bunch of version options.
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Thank you, Jeff Rogers, for posting this. Taking God at His word saved my life, helped me love, and brought kindness. It helped me remove the “ifs” that God did not add in scripture, and, therefore, helped me exemplify kindness. When God says dance, praise, give thanks, give to others, pray at all times, refrain from certain deeds, and much more, there is no “if.” He did not say, “If you feel like it, do it. If it is great weather outside do it.” Obviously, he wants the fruit of His Spirit in it so it is love and not “a clanging cymbal” of deeds with no fruit. I am still a work in progress, growing in Him.
I am also glad you addressed the issue of feelings and emotions, as well. A fervent emotion or intensity of words as Jesus demonstrated to Peter, the Pharisees in sarcasm, and the money changers can also be loving demonstrations, while challenging to understand. For a long time, Christian counselors have been trying to help families and children discern what to do. A video of an animated version of Esther was shown to children of Christian parents. Many children at the end of it said Mordecai must have been the “bad guy” because he had an angry face. When it was explained that Mordecai was the “good guy” and Esther’s family member helping free slaves, children still ask questions, yet understood over time. A mock election was done in schools in which children selected a candidate online. When asked why they voted for a certain candidate most said that the one they chose “looked nice.” The leaders of the mock election and study intentionally chose one candidate to look angry. The candidate that “looked nice” actually was smiling yet had been saying something when that picture was chosen that was rude, illegal, and violated the rule of law.
We live in a world now, where schools are close to certain traffic areas more prone to crime. LSSPs, such as myself, and other professionals have been going into schools to teach children how to love and be kind while also teaching refusal skills and assertiveness training to tell bullies when to back off, while still being loving, and to tell when someone could cause harm to another. We are there to teach youth when to assert themself in anger not to get in a car with a drunk driver, among other assertions.
What you wrote is powerful, well stated, full of truth, fascinating, and very loving. Again I am believing that because of much disception in the world we awoke to this day, there is a need for great discernment, discretion, and possibly assertiveness. I am knowing God has got this and will lead us, and the impressionable children in the world, in Victory.
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you are so on the mark with your response to Jeff’s post. So much truth to digest in one message.
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Amen. Proverbs 16:6 “By lovingkindness and truth, iniquity is atoned for, and by fear of the Lord, one keeps away from evil.”
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