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Ladies Daily Devotional
4-22-08
All Scripture is taken from the NKJ Version unless stated.
OBC LADIES 4-22-08 Be Kindly Affectionate to One Another
By Nikki Derouin
My sister has a little saying, "There is a difference between kindness and lovingkindness." Sounds a little dull on paper, but it really makes a difference in practice! If she makes me a cup of tea, she will point to the tea, "This is the kindness." Then she will point to the napkin she has folded into some perfect little shape and say, "And this is the loving." Or she will make cookies – that was kind of her; and she will add sprinkles or frosting – that's the 'loving'.
We are told in Romans 12:10, "Be kindly affectionate one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another" [KJV]. But what does that mean? What does it mean to show kindness with love?
The Old Testament often uses the word 'lovingkindness'. God shows us lovingkindness. He is not only "kind", He is loving.
Lovingkindness is not trivial. Loving someone makes us vulnerable to critique and to pain. Kindness alone does not have to involve our 'person'. It just has to be an action … an 'act of kindness'. Love demands our being, our involvement, our vulnerability, our ability to listen and to know what people truly need and want. "Charity" has become a word that means nothing more that a "handout" or "welfare dependence"… but true charity involves so much more. The King James Version of the Bible refers to love as charity.
If a poor person came to you and was hungry, would you feed them? I am suspecting that we would all say yes (even if it were done grudgingly). But how many of us would do more than an 'act of charity'? How many of us would see it as an act of love? How many of us would put something more than a sandwich on the plate? Would you even think of making the plate attractive… adding a colorful side dish, adding a napkin (folded in a pleasing way) or cutting the sandwich in half (on the diagonal)? These are simple things that we would not even think twice about for a friend.
Sometimes we become prideful of what we do for others. We boast about what charities we are helping. We flaunt our "great contributions." But when we do this, we are forgetting the God we are to imitate in our daily life.
"Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD." (Jeremiah 9:23f)
The Hebrew word here for "lovingkindness" implies a steadfast love – a love that is patient. Does that remind you of something?
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." ( I Corinthians 13:4-8a)
When we are dealing with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are to show them kindness with love. And not any kind of love… but brotherly love. We are to be kind to them… and then go the second mile and show love… the type of love that we have for our family. A loyal and familiar love!
Perhaps we are unable to show a familial love because we do not know the person who sits in the pew across from us. Perhaps we are not able to "add" love to our kindness because we are not even doing "acts of kindness." Perhaps we are not even showing kindness because we do not see a need. Perhaps we do not see a need because we do not recognize what God has done for us. Perhaps we need to start from the beginning.
But also for this very reason, giving all diligence,
add to your faith virtue,
to virtue knowledge,
to knowledge self-control,
to self-control perseverance,
to perseverance godliness,
to godliness brotherly kindness,
and to brotherly kindness love.
For if these things are yours and abound,
you will be neither barren nor unfruitful
in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8 [NKJV]
I encourage us to start today! God has gone beyond 'being kind' with us. His love is the motivation behind our faith; and when we add to our faith, we will affect others for God. Ultimately, we will exhibit the characteristic of love. And when love motivates our acts of kindness, we will not be unfruitful or barren… our actions will be built on a foundation of the knowledge of God's loving-kindness!
Questions
1. Look up the word lovingkindness.
2. How has God's steadfast love been a motivator for you?
3. Compare Colossians 2:12f with I Corinthians 13.
a. What must we put on?
b. What does love involve?
4. Study Titus 3:3-7.
a. When did God love us? How many of these things listed in verse 3 could be said of you before you became a Christian? (v.3)
b. What two things did God show to us? Look up both words. God could have just shown 'kindness'… how did He take it one step farther. (v.4)
c. How has his love for us been shown? What was the 'personification' of His love for us? (vv.5f)
d. Because God is kind, He has given us a way to avoid condemnation. What has He offered to us because of His love? (v.7)
5. What must we add to our faith? What are we ultimately striving for?
6. What are some ways that you can show kindness?
a. To your family?
b. To your friends?
c. To your Christian family?
d. To your enemy?
7. What are some ways you can "take it a step farther" and show lovingkindness in each of these areas?
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All Scripture is taken from the NKJ Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson,Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today's devotional article will also be posted with the Archived OBC Courses on our Home Page. If you are looking for some good Bible class material take a look at this page on our web site. We also have archived OBC Youth Lessons. We always enjoy getting feedback from those who use any of our archived materials.
OBC Ladies Daily Devotional is a part of the Online Bible Class sponsored by the St. George Church of Christ in St. George, Utah. Visit our Web Site and see all our Bible study opportunities which we invite you to be a part of and to enroll your friends! OBC Ladies Daily Devotional Archives Link:
http://www.stgcoc.com/for_women%20Main1.htm
If you have questions or comments etc..., please feel free to contact: Billie Duty ladiesdevo@hotmail.com or Sandy Ditoro sjditoro@hotmail.com sjditoro@gmail.com .
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