‘Praise the Lord , all you nations. Praise him, all you people of the earth. For his unfailing love for us is powerful; the Lord ’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise the Lord !’ Psalms 117:1-2(NLT)
‘“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. ‘ Matthew 5:43-47(NLT)
‘You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things? Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?’ Romans 2:1-4(NLT)
‘Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.’ Philippians 4:4-5(NLT)
‘But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.’ James 3:17-18(NLT)
‘Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”’ 1 Peter 3:8-12(NLT)
“…Love is gentle and consistently kind to all….” 1 Corinthians 13:4 TPT
Loving with gentleness means conducting yourself with mildness and evenness of spirit. It is a display of love not found in extremes of emotion.
Kindness is an action that elevates and honors another.
Kindness offered to another is a demonstration of the gentleness of our hearts.
However, in our efforts to love others, it is the words consistently and all in this verse that stood out to me. It’s fairly easy to demonstrate love through kindness and gentleness with those who are easy to love. But difficult or annoying people? It’s not easy to consistently show love, and certainly not easy to demonstrate gentleness and kindness to them. In fact, it’s easier to withhold love, because our feelings tell us they certainly do not deserve it!
Often, these difficult people live in our own homes, or maybe they are our direct report at work. Sometimes, they are even our enemy. When these people come against us in their immaturity or insecurity, or especially in their hatred, it’s easy to let unkind words and attitudes spill out. Our mildness of spirit—our gentleness—disappears in the conflict.
In these moments we use love like dollar bills, handing them out when people are acceptable to us and snatching them back when our expectations are not met and we are disappointed.
Are we demonstrating love through consistent kindness with our spouses, our kids, our parents or are we short-tempered? Are we gentle while we are driving or are we wildly gesturing and yelling? Are we courteous with the slow cashier at the store, the inattentive waiter at the restaurant, the salesperson on the phone, or to that person on the Internet?
Courtesy, a display of gentleness and kindness toward another, is an almost forgotten characteristic in our society today. The word is rooted in the ceremonial manners used in a royal court. High respect and consideration for those we live with or meet, especially those who are most difficult, are the appropriate qualities of sons and daughters of the Most High.
How can we consistently love those that grate against us? Why does God ask us to love unlovely people, even those who come against us?
Consistently showing love through gentleness and kindness is only possible when we acknowledge the consistent love and grace our Father has lavished on us. He never holds back His love, even when we deserve it.
Psalm 117:2 TPT tells us that God’s kindness has melted our hearts. I know it has mine and I am so grateful.
Let’s make it a practice to melt hearts with gentleness and kindness through our courtesy to others. God’s Spirit within us will enable that fruit to increase and grow.
Consider reading today’s scriptures from The Message. (MSG)
from Love Is a Person by Robin Meadows