God's Word provides you with five ways to become kind. None of the five can be done without the power of Christ's life and the energy of the Holy Spirit in us. The five ways to become kind are part of the list of fifteen items that describe love (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). The first two of the fifteen are patient and kind, summarizing the following thirteen. Items three through ten are eight ways to become patient; we labeled them - Love NOTS. The following five are positively framed, and we titled them - Love DOES. 

#11 – Love Rejoices in Truth

Love rejoices when truth prevails. It is not about being right and winning arguments because that is not love; that is flashing your ME. No, love rejoices in truth for its own sake! Truth brings freedom and light and is always better for those you love than lies. Love is honest and does not fear saying things that, though they may hurt for a time, are nonetheless truths that benefit the other person.

More importantly, when exposed to the truth, you rejoice in hearing it, even though it may hurt. Love rejoices in truth because truth is about freedom, which is why Christ died for you.

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. – John 8:32

#12 – Love Bears All Things

…love covers a multitude of sins – 1 Peter 4:8

Not only does God cover sin, but He also demonstrates patience. Both of those thoughts are part of “bearing all things.” Thank goodness that God loves like this! He hates sin but is patient as He sanctifies you. He is the example of how to relate to others. Love seeks to protect, focuses on the good, forgives wrongs, and works with people to help them overcome their faults. Love bears any difficulty willingly for the good of others and God’s glory.

Not publishing the faults of others may be much easier than bearing up under the burden of those you care about who not only do not show care for you now but are hurting you. Love is not dependent on the object to love back. It is a decision, independent and separate from anything related to them, which frees you to care for them when they do not care for you.

That truth is powerful and freeing because you are not trapped into thinking they need to change for your life to get better. You are not dependent on that. Instead, you are dependent on the Lord God of the Universe to take care of them and you.

Be Like Samwise Gamgee

A good picture of bearing all things is in J. R. R. Tolkien’s book, The Return of the King. Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee have come to the most challenging stage of their quest – climbing Mt. Doom to destroy the evil Ring. Frodo, carrying the Ring, has no more strength to continue.

‘Come, Mr. Frodo!” he cried.  ‘I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you and it as well. So up you get! Come on, Mr. Frodo dear! Sam will give you a ride. Just tell him where to go, and he’ll go.’

As Frodo clung upon his back, arms loosely about his neck, legs clasped firmly under his arms, Sam staggered to his feet; and then to his amazement he felt the burden light. He had feared that he would have barely strength to lift his master alone, and beyond that he had expected to share in the dreadful dragging weight of the accursed Ring. But it was not so. Whether because Frodo was so worn by his long pains, wound of knife, and venomous sting, and sorrow, fear, and homeless wandering, or because some gift of final strength was given to him, Sam lifted Frodo with no more difficulty than if he were carrying a hobbit-child pig-a-back in some romp on the lawns or hayfields of the Shire. – J. R. R. Tolkien

Are you willing to carry their burdens? It will be much lighter than you realize when you are dependent on God to provide the strength to do it.

#13 – Love Believes All Things

The disease of doubt springs from fear. Faith in our PERFECT God is the antidote. And these apply directly to your relationship with Christ and how you treat others. If you trust Him, you can know He will use it for good in His PERFECT way, whether people do good or bad. You need not be overwhelmed with pessimism and mistrust. There is no need to be gullible, either.

Indeed charity does by no means destroy prudence, and, out of mere simplicity and silliness, believe every word, Proverbs 14:15. Wisdom may dwell with love, and charity be cautious. But it is apt to believe well of all, to entertain a good opinion of them when there is no appearance to the contrary; nay, to believe well when there may be some dark appearances, if the evidence of ill be not clear. – Matthew Henry

Trust is mainly linked to being earned. However, your life shows it is most often a gift to others! Think about the last time you sat in a chair. Did you gingerly test its structural strength and inquire about the credentials and training of the craftsman or manufacturer? No, you just sat because you trusted that it was a good chair! There are so many examples of how much trust is gifted. If gifted and then misused, that is when earning trust enters.

In the same way, you have the glorious opportunity to believe in the best of people first, and even if proven wrong at some point, to believe in God’s power, love, and redemption. That is the most crucial idea behind believing all things. You depend on God to deal with people, which frees you to believe the best about them.

How about a new way of thinking? Believe badly about others with the utmost reluctance.

#14 – Love Hopes All Things

This one may be the most difficult of the five ways to become kind. While similar to the previous element, it expresses an even more significant challenge. Suppose there is evidence to doubt. That is where hope enters; hope for turning back to what is good and right. The facts have reduced or removed trust, but hope still lingers.

When you pursue the highest good for others, you hope and believe that God can do marvelous works in them as He does in you. He can turn a heart of cold stone into a vibrant soul passionate about Him, a Saul into a Paul, a slave-trading John Newton into a pastor and writer of Amazing Grace.

And when, in spite of inclination, it cannot believe well of others, it will yet hope well, and continue to hope as long as there is any ground for it. It will not presently conclude a case desperate, but wishes the amendment of the worst of men, and is very apt to hope for what it wishes. – Matthew Henry

[The Christian] does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us. – C.S. Lewis

Are you willing to hope for their good, even if they are currently sinning and caught in a life of doing what is wrong? If so, that is love.

#15 – Love Endures All Things

The last of the five ways to become kind is the most powerful. Nothing can deter love. Pain, suffering, loneliness, heartache, loss, and hatred are not strong enough to stop love. Love has no price tag. Nothing can compare to love because it will endure all and outlast all.

Since it perseveres, holds fast, and stands firm in injury and unpleasant circumstances for the sake of others and God, being kind helps you endure rather than succumb to bitterness and resentments.

Note, what a fortitude and firmness fervent love will give the mind! What cannot a lover endure for the beloved and for his sake! How many slights and injuries will he put up with! How many hazards will he run and how many difficulties encounter! – Matthew Henry

Looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:2

The joy set before Christ was your redemption and His glory! In the same way, you can joyfully endure all things.