Dave’s Monday Blast – February 11, 2019

I recently returned from an incredible trip to Israel. As I was in the very places where the incarnate Christ demonstrated His divine nature I was reminded time and again of my personal Kingdom Mandate; bear His Image well and make disciples. As I considered this truth I concluded that the key to fulfilling this mandate in our culture is Kindness! Kindness is a powerful tool. Kindness changes everything; it was Jesus’ way.

In  Ephesians 4:2 we discover that Kindness is a reflection of the heart of God.
In Romans 2:4 we learn that it is the Kindness of God that saves us.
In Galatians 5:22 we see that Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit.
In 2 Corinthians 6:1-3 the Apostle Paul plainly states that Kindness is a result of being In Christ. He said that you can know that he truly was an Apostle of Christ because he was kind. Paul knew this was God’s way; Jesus’ way.
In Micah 6:6-8 the prophet specifically inquires what he must do to please God. The answer… “Act Justly, Love Kindness, and Live Humbly”. And when you consider this response, in truth, you can not “act justly” nor “live with humility” unless you are passionate about being Kind. It begins with Kindness.

I think that Kindness is manifested in two simple ways, and perhaps is best understood by its opposite:

1. Kindness is about what you do or don’t to others.
2. Kindness is about what you say or don’t say to others.

After your personal encounters with others you must the ask the question, did I encourage and serve or did I discourage and take something away? Ephesians 4:28-32 clearly teaches that our actions and our words must be Kind. To be successful in our mandate we must consistently reflect the character and nature of God; we must Love Kindness. This was Jesus’ way. 

I will spend a few weeks processing my experience in Israel through this Monday Blast. I want to do this while my reflections are fresh. Next week I want to share some thoughts from an event on the Sea of Galilee as it relates to Disciple Making.