Fruits of the Spirit, part five: Kindness in Character

Kindness is something we’re taught as children. When we’re young, we learn to show others more kindness and value it in our own character. For many, somewhere along the way, other things take precedence: our comfortability, our pride, whatever it might be. But many times, kindness loses its luster as we grow older, getting put on the back burner. And yet, if you ask someone to list what they look for in a friend or in a romantic partner, kindness will probably be on that list, if not one of the first things. So if we expect kindness out of others, why is it such a struggle to show kindness ourselves? Because the fact is, when God names kindness as a Fruit of the Spirit, it’s not exclusive to people we find easy to love. It’s for everyone– strangers, friends, family, acquaintances, and yes, even people we’d rather not spend time with.