(chrestos -good,upright,honest)
Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
To be compassionate means to provide what is needed. The word compassionate comes from the word for spleen. You feel it deeply in your gut. The spleen filters blood and keeps the body from being poisoned.
And right at that moment they needed a pen! My wife and I were traveling internationally. As we approached the customs check point at the airport we discovered that several of us had not completed the final section on the travel forms. The tension was high as the woman who was checking off the forms was holding up the line. We had suitcases and carry-on bags so our hands were full.
She expected us to fill out a form WITH A PEN???
The couple next to us had a toddler in a stroller and they were panicked. I could hear the tension rising in their voices. Blame and frustration was about to explode into an angry outburst. At that moment I realized that in my small backpack I “happened” to have two pens. You need to know – I NEVER carry a pen because I’m a digital guy. For me to have two pens is nothing short of a miracle. I quickly grabbed the extra pen and gave it to the husband, who was in the greatest need of this miracle, since he was the more anxious of the two. BOOM – That is kindness.
Kindness is providing something when it’s needed most. You see, kindness is about being perceptive to those around you and taking advantage of the timing. It’s like FLASH LOVE! Maybe Paul connected the word compassion with the word kind because compassion is feeling a need in your gut. The word comes from “Spleen” – wild huh?
So be a good spleen and make those moments count by being kind to a brother. Act quickly, you may miss the fun!
Father, it would be so fun to do something unexpected and totally acting like you. Could you arrange for me to see a need and then help me be bold and follow through with an act of kindness toward my brother or sister. Amen