Attitudes are contagious. In a world of chaos and dysfunction, it’s important that we not only guard our hearts against bad attitudes but also foster good attitudes, making us part of the solution rather than the problem. Life is a series of choices that push us either closer to or further from our Father. It’s up to us to check our hearts and do what’s necessary to grow spiritually. If we’re not growing in Christ, we won’t bear fruit; this puts us at risk of being a branch that gets cut off the vine and lost (John 15:2).

Checking Our Hearts

As humans, we’re prone to lean on our flesh—our own experiences, opinions, and understanding. Therefore, we may think we can accurately check and assess our own hearts. We may feel like we have a good idea of who we are and where we fall on the moral scale. There will always be people we can look at as examples of how much better or worse we could be. However, all humans fall short and have room to grow. It isn’t enough to compare ourselves to those around us, as comparison steals our joy, and we still fall short of our calling from God. Instead, Proverbs 3:5-6 instructs us not to lean on our own understanding but to trust the Lord to guide us. Our goal should always be to ask our Father to align our hearts with His.

Psalm 139 shows us that this is a lifelong process—praying for His help and asking Him to reveal whether we are speaking and acting on behalf of God or our own flesh. This Psalm reminds us that God knows us better than we know ourselves. We should pray continually: “Break our hearts for what breaks Yours, and push us to love what You love and hate what You hate.”

Spread Kindness

When we accept the truth that we need a Savior and are baptized in the Holy Spirit, we receive the Helper we need to bear the fruits of the Spirit. As we continually devour the Word and commune with our Creator, our hearts are molded and begin to overflow with those fruits, one of which is kindness. Kindness is defined as being friendly, generous, and considerate. Like a muscle, kindness strengthens when put to use. That means that in each situation, we have an opportunity to respond with compassion.

Spreading kindness isn’t simply doing something nice for someone when it’s easy or when it makes us look good; it’s also about handling tough interactions with grace and gentleness. Whether we are parenting our children, interacting with coworkers, or practicing patience on the roadways, we can spread the love and kindness God lavishes on us. We can block the enemy’s advances that seek to draw us into anger and frustration by demonstrating a better way to resolve conflicts, heal wounds, and bridge the gap from death to life. We have the power of the Holy Spirit, and the God of Heaven’s army fights for us. We need not fight evil with evil.

God’s love and kindness to us while we were still sinners saved us from sin and death (Romans 5:8). We are called to live like Jesus and fight the enemy with kindness. Our enemy is not each other—it is not flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12). Our battle is spiritual, and we fight that battle when we choose truth, love, and kindness. Imagine the world if we truly remembered that.

Often, Christians set themselves apart from the world, but not in the way the Lord does. There are times when we think we are better or have more understanding simply because we’ve been saved. In that arrogance, we fall victim to the enemy’s trap of self-righteousness. How we treat others and how we respond to what others do or say to us is a true test of our spiritual walk. The more sensitive we are to the Lord’s direction, the better and quicker we become at recognizing when we fail to act according to what we profess to embody.

Even the most seasoned Christian is susceptible to thinking they’ve mastered a fruit of the Spirit and, therefore, neglecting to exercise it—causing the loss of that “muscle.” Remaining in His Word and praying to God for help in all situations is key. It isn’t enough to receive these gifts from our Lord; we must spread them everywhere we go, to everyone we meet, in response to every situation. We will defeat the enemy—not with anger or by having the bigger sword—but with kindness.

Samantha Moser is a disciple of Jesus who has served in various ministries, often simultaneously, over the last 12 years, most consistently in KidMin. She and her husband, Dallas, homeschool their four children with an emphasis on biblical foundations, world history, and life skills. The couple volunteers as Sunday School teachers for nursery through kindergarten, and Samantha has been a leader in various areas and ages within KidMin for the last six years. This year, she served as VBS director for the first time and can now say she has done every role within VBS. Samantha believes having two sons and two daughters gives her a thorough perspective on what boys and girls are facing today. The Moser family is passionate about serving Jesus and filling needs in all areas of their lives. When they aren’t at church, they enjoy camping and managing their cat, two dogs, and nine chickens.