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Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit. That's a good thing.
Here's what I'm wondering though: if I have horrible mean thoughts toward someone--a lady in line at the grocery store, for example--and I smile at her and help her when she drops something am I really being kind? I'm acting kind, but is it genuine?
Is kindess an external thing or internal? If I perform kind actions, is that enough?
When I'm in a rotten mood and everything irritates me, it might be more authentic to grump at people, but certainly not kind. I want to be real, but is that always the best thing? I can be real ugly in my realness sometimes.
If I feel like grumping, but I smile and behave kindly, am I being phony? Or is that what kindness is? Choosing to act kindly even when I don't feel like it?
Great points, Kay. Yes, since we all have 'those moments' some of us more than others, I think the fruitbearing of kindness comes when we'd really rather it not.
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