Where does kindness come from?
Nothing in the narrative of evolutionary biology can tell us why one human would act with compassion or thoughtfulness toward another. In a world where survival alone is supposed to be the highest goal, nothing disinterested happens. All human behaviors should only produce results for the one doing them.
Yet kindness exists. Parents nurture children, and not only to perpetuate their genetic line. Friends do “unnecessary” things for each other—providing emotional support in grief or loss or change. Even sworn enemies surprise us by laying down their weapons to offer comfort to the wounded.
The Bible tells us that all good things, including acts of kindness, grow from the kindness that began with God: “Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:17).
God’s enduring kindness toward each of us—for every human being is created in His image—flows from His heart of grace. “No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:39).
The grace of God moves every act of mercy and forgiveness. Receive that love. Then move the kindness forward.
And stay in grace. -Bill Knott
GraceNotes: Untiring Grace (August 16, 2019)
GraceNotes: Grace Under Fire (August 9, 2019)
GraceNotes: The Number of Forgiveness (August 2, 2019)
Sarah Kannanaikkel: Beautiful, Wonderful Words (August 2019)
Transformation Tips: Five Levels of Personal Peace (August 2019)
Introducing The Why: Am I In The Way? (August 2019)
GraceNotes: The Choice That Heals (July 26, 2019)
GraceNotes: The Dawn of Trust (July 19, 2019)
GraceNotes: All of Grace, Grace for All (July 12, 2019)
GraceNotes: Gracefully Wrong (July 5, 2019)
Journeys With Jesus: The Spirit of Grace (July 2019)
Zeno Charles-Marcel: Dementia (July 2019)
Torben Bergland: Mental Health and Lifestyle (July 2019)
Katia Reinert: Finding God In The Journey To Recovery (July 2019)
Searching The Obvious: Time Well Spent (July 2019)
Costing Jordache: Volunteering Can Save Your Life (July 2019)
Wilona Karimabadi: You Need To Take A Break (July 2019)
Dr. Peter Landless: Wholeness Into Brokenness (July 2019)
Lael Caesar: Maybe Your Name Is Moses (July 2019)
GraceNotes: The Hero of the Story (June 28, 2019)
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