Love IS: Where patience is the fruit of mercy, so kindness is the fruit of grace - so, as love is patient, so love is kind - it acts according to the need of the person in front of us.
If love (noun) is patient (verb), love, loves, with patience… by definition, it must be slow to anger. Why? Because a patient love refuses to retaliate in anger or out of anger (man’s) but instead looks to be divinely directed to administer kindness - that is usefulness.
So, love, which IS patient:
· Endures misfortunes and trouble
· Is long tempered
· Suffers long
· Bears up another’s weakness
· Perseveres
This love, which IS patient, defers anger and refuses to retaliate on the basis of human anger - here’s where James 1:20 fits
James 1:19-21 Mirroring Jesus, showing patience, responding righteously
1:19a It is quick to listen
· To the person and situation
· To God
· God’s leading
Ask questions to gain perspective
Proverbs 19:11 A man's insight gives him patience, and his virtue is to overlook an offense.
Pray for guidance - insight, discernment, understanding
1:19b Slow to anger, slow to react.
Proverbs 16:32 He who is slow to anger is better than a warrior, and he who controls his temper is greater than one who captures a city.
Proverbs 15:18 A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger calms dispute.
1:19c. It is slow to speak.
Proverbs 17:27 A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a man of understanding maintains a calm spirit.
1:20 It acts - it responds righteously - whether through action or action that appears to be inaction and always with the best of the recipient in mind as directed by god that one’s on ideas or feelings - John 8 – caring for the one you love.
Proverbs 19:18
Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death. NIV
Discipline and teach your son while there is hope, And do not [indulge your anger or resentment by imposing inappropriate punishment nor] desire his destruction. AMP
Instead, it extends a long way and only expresses anger as the Lord directs (as opposed to being “quick-tempered”)
· This love then is patient in bearing the offenses and injuries inflicted by others
· It is mind and slow in avenging (Ro 12)
· Slow to punish (Prov 19:11)
What is it to be kind? Love that is kind, meets the actual need or needs of others. What must we do to discern and meet the ACTUAL needs of others? Seek God’s leading: being directed and prompted by God IS what enables us to express Love’s kindness. This kindness IS kind as it acts or gives. And this is grace.
Why? Because Love IS kind: that is full of service to others - and a wise love that is kind does all that it can do to be ready to render kindness
Love is Kind: performing useful service for the one loved – now and eternal. What must I do to be able to be kind? To say, do, or give what is useful (now and for or toward eternity)?
Let’s go all the way back and look at our Good Samaritan: let’s name as many things this person had to have… to be willing and able to express kindness - what had he cultivated and stewarded well?
Do we trust the Holy Spirit and the righteousness of Jesus to rise above both ourselves and the sin in the person we are loving to do what God promises it/they will do? To convict the world of sin and righteousness.
This would have been a brutal challenge to the thinking and believing of Jesus’ Jewish audience - having each area put under the microscope and examined - that is their heart - in reference to A SAMARITAN!! A reprobate! A cheat! A bum… and the list goes on!
So it should be for us! We are to be challenged in every area of our belief system, our values, our heart’s condition, how we view God and what He has done of us, provided, His sovereignty, His teaching, and commands, Jesus' life and teaching, our trust in Him, whether our character resembles Jesus’, and that we are making progress toward it - and if we are not, challenged to consider what we need to do to take my next step toward Christlikeness - because that is where we actually live by faith, that our faith is tested, that our faith is seen (in our good works, with a good attitude, for the right reasons…) and we bring glory to our father - a good opinion of Him, through us, to others~
We should be just as challenged by this story as Jesus’ audience was, that we would look at each aspect of the Samaritan’s behavior and consider whether I could, or would, be willing and able to do the same for the persons I encounter along the way who I find in peril.
Am I ready? In every way? Where might I be? Where am I not? Why am I not? Am I willing to change to be ready? Where do I start? And remember, God is not looking for perfection, He is looking for devotion. Neither do we need to be READY in every one of these areas to begin, we can begin with where we are while we work toward where we need to be - this is a lifetime endeavor that we live out every day.
Let’s go all the way back and look at our Good Samaritan: let’s name as many things this person had to have… to be willing and able to express kindness - what had he cultivated and stewarded well?
· Love of fellow man - cultivated and governed by love (agape)
· Compassion for mankind - sensitive to the needs or plight of others
· Mercy toward mankind - non-judgmental towards others and their circumstances - whether person or reason
· Sense of responsibility for others - He does not choose who will be His neighbor, recognizes that whoever we encounter IS our neighbor
· Attitude and spirit of generosity
· Able to keep any biases or prejudice in check - if they were there at all
· Alert and aware - could not have been so preoccupied with own stuff that they could or would not see (see priest and Levite)
· Time/Calendar
· Preparedness
o Resources - he was prepared and had apparent Medicinal
o Skills to apply
o $$ to give
· Reputation (with margins to be able to give and even, if necessary, give more
o outsiders) that he would have the trust of the innkeeper
§ Character
§ Integrity
· Business relationships - that if he was late to his destination there would be grace afforded him - OR - he was willing to risk his relationship with for a higher good - the life and welfare of another person - EVEN a Jew.
· Even his physical self
· Other:
Do we trust the Holy Spirit and the righteousness of Jesus to rise above both ourselves and the sin in the person we are loving to do what God promises it/they will do? To convict the world of sin and righteousness.
This would have been a brutal challenge to the thinking and believing of Jesus’ Jewish audience - having each area put under the microscope and examined - that is their heart - in reference to A SAMARITAN!! A reprobate! A cheat! A bum… and the list goes on!
So it should be for us! We are to be challenged in every area of our belief system, our values, our heart’s condition, how we view God and what He has done of us, provided, His sovereignty, His teaching, and commands, Jesus' life and teaching, our trust in Him, whether our character resembles Jesus’, and that we are making progress toward it - and if we are not, challenged to consider what we need to do to take my next step toward Christlikeness - because that is where we actually live by faith, that our faith is tested, that our faith is seen (in our good works, with a good attitude, for the right reasons…) and we bring glory to our father - a good opinion of Him, through us, to others~
We should be just as challenged by this story as Jesus’ audience was, that we would look at each aspect of the Samaritan’s behavior and consider whether I could, or would, be willing and able to do the same for the persons I encounter along the way who I find in peril.
Am I ready? In every way? Where might I be? Where am I not? Why am I not? Am I willing to change to be ready? Where do I start? And remember, God is not looking for perfection, He is looking for devotion. Neither do we need to be READY in every one of these areas to begin, we can begin with where we are while we work toward where we need to be - this is a lifetime endeavor that we live out every day.
A little personal inventory, an assessment?
How do I compare to the Good Samaritan? Where do I begin? Where am i now in each one of these areas? Am i in a place where I can be generous with my…
Mercy (patience and tolerance)?
Grace (kindnesses)
My sense of responsibility? Am I able to examine my heart with regard to bias, prejudice, or shortsightedness with regard to whom I am responsible and take responsibility - “who is my neighbor?” Can I, will I see beyond the person’s (fill in the blank) to the person God values and loves, is patient, tolerant, and kind toward - in the hopes of their repenting and coming to Him? Get them to Jesus, then, deal with what might need to be dealt with.
Spirit of generosity - God is generous, He gives lavishly (define) , do I recognize God’s generosity? Am I then imitating our Father as a “dearly loved child, and living a life of love? Meaning - am I then, with a grateful heart being generous to God (parable of the barns)? Am I being generous to others? What is my attitude about what is “mine” or what, what I have, is actually for
· Am I stingy? Or
· Do I hold tight to what i have, or “what is mine”? Or
· Do I begrudgingly count the cost every time I give? Or
· Do i recognize where and from whom I have received what I have? Or
· Do I attribute to Him the good things, all things, I have? Or
o Am I aware? Or oblivious, or willfully ignorant?
o Do I acknowledge? Or do I refuse and take credit for…
o Am I grateful for it? Or do I have a sense of entitlement
How do my thoughts, attitude, speaking, and actions reflect these attributes?
This is not a “guilt trip” moment! But an opportunity to allow God’s truth to examine our hearts, minds, attitudes, and lives. So, as much as we are called to grant mercy and grace, patience and kindness, to those we are responsible for - our neighbor, we must also apply to ourselves - this is a process, we are working in progress - begin where you are - at least living up to what we have attained (Phil 3), and begin the walk, the work, to where it is that God would have us be - one step at a time! And do, then, stretch, strive, make every effort to add to your faith and faith walk…
What is my first, or next, step? REMEMBER: God does not shed light on the whole path, but the next step of the path.
