2022 kindness

I am continuing to focus on a word for a year, and I am continuing with the next fruit of the spirit: kindness.

Galatians 5:22‭-‬23 NIV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. ...

I briefly studied the difference between kindness and goodness, and to summarize, it seems that goodness is an attribute of your moral quality, whereas kindness is an attribute of the way you treat other people.

I also decided to repeat the four-course Scripture meal plan again this year.

In comparing Psalm 1, Proverbs 1, Matthew 1, and Acts 1 this morning, I was impressed by several points.  

First, Solomon was a king of Israel by birth of the lineage of David, but Jesus is rightfully king of Israel by adoption into the lineage of Joseph who was of the line of David.  Spiritually, we are sons and daughters of God, so we are spiritual kings and queens, and God wants us to advance His kingdom on earth.  The King's domain begins with our hearts and flows from there.  I need to do a better job realizing this for myself and teaching this to my children.

Second, the Kingdom of Christ is apolitical.  Jesus did not rely on political affiliations to accomplish His mission.  And having recently read Revelation, political power is associated with the kingdom of Babylon, not the Kingdom of Christ. So many people think that one political affiliation or another is more or less "Christian", but these mindsets are illusions.  They are tragically deceived.  

Third, to be planted by a stream of water is to abide in Christ and enjoy the fellowship, fruit, and power of the Holy Spirit.  Life apart from Holy Spirit is only religion, not faith.  I want to see increasing measures of spiritual fruit and power in my life as evidence of His abiding presence.  This is Kingdom life.

Father, I praise you for being good AND kind.  Jesus, I want you to be the center of my life, not tangential.  Help me focus clearly on your Kingdom, and expose deceptions of worldliness that I think is Kingdom life.  Holy Spirit, please plunge me deeper into your transformation.  Please help me keep in step with you, moment by moment.  I love you.