Pursuing Kindness in a Hostile World ?

[Bible Speaks]

Pursuing Kindness in a Hostile World ? 

BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER!

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“The desirable thing in earthling man is his loving-kindness.”—PROVERBS 19:22

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(Ephesians 4:32) . . .But become kind to one another, tenderly compassionate, freely forgiving one another just as God also by Christ freely forgave YOU."

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DO YOU consider yourself to be a kind person? If so, living in today’s world can be trying. True, kindness is identified in the Bible as part of “the fruitage of the spirit,” but why is it so difficult to express kindness even in so-called Christian lands? (Galatians 5:22) 

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As we noted in the preceding article, the answer can in part be found in what the apostle John wrote—the whole world is in the control of an unkind spirit person, Satan the Devil. (1 John 5:19) Jesus Christ identified Satan as “the ruler of the world.” (John 14:30) Thus, this world tends to resemble its rebel ruler, whose attitude is characterized by vicious behavior.—Ephesians 2:2

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Our lives are affected adversely when others treat us in an unkind manner. The unkindness could be expressed by spiteful neighbors, unfriendly strangers, even friends and family members who may, at times, act thoughtlessly. The pressure of having contact with people who are rude and who shout and curse at one another often causes much dismay. Such lack of kindness by others could make us feel hostile ourselves, and we may consider returning unkindness for unkindness. That may even lead to spiritual or physical health problems.—Romans 12:17.

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Stressful world conditions may also make it difficult for us to show kindness. For example, mankind in general feels stress because of threats and acts of terrorism, as well as the possible use of biological or nuclear weapons by various national groups. In addition, millions of people are impoverished, existing with minimal food, shelter, clothing, and medical care. Pursuing kindness becomes a challenge when the situation seems hopeless.—Ecclesiastes 7:7.

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A person could easily conclude that showing kindness is hardly a priority and may even be a sign of weakness. He could feel exploited, especially when others ride roughshod over him. (Psalm 73:2-9) However, the Bible provides proper direction for us when it says: “An answer, when mild, turns away rage, but a word causing pain makes anger to come up.” (Proverbs 15:1) Mildness and kindness are two aspects of the fruitage of the spirit that are closely related and are effective when dealing with difficult and challenging circumstances.

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Since displaying the fruitage of God’s holy spirit is so important to us as Christians, we do well to consider how we might show one of those qualities—kindness. Is it possible to pursue kindness in a hostile world? If so, what are some areas in which we can give evidence that we do not allow the influence of Satan to stifle our kindness, especially in stressful situations? Let us consider pursuing kindness in the family, in the workplace, at school, with our neighbors, in our ministry, and among fellow believers.

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READ THIS VERY GOOD ARTICLE AT";

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2004284?q=kindness&p=par