KINDNESS - Champions by the Fruit of the SpiritSample

Kindness vs Malice

Bible story: Esther saves her people (Esther 3-5)

Theme Verse: Romans 15:14

Today we will look at kindness versus malice. Malice is a desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another person either because of a hostile impulse or out of deep-seated meanness. It is an evil intent on the part of a person who commits a wrongful act.

In today's Bible story, Haman plots to kill the Jews. Originally, he was angry with Mordecai for not bowing down to him. However, when he found out that Mordecai was a Jew, he did not want only to kill him, but he wanted to kill all the Jews throughout the whole land of Xerxes. It is amazing how the human heart can get so mean and vindictive. Instead of just killing the one man he was angry with, Haman wanted to kill a whole people-group!

Our hearts are wicked, and we are born into sin. It takes living by the fruit of the spirit to overcome this malice and to live with kindness toward others. Even today, all over the world, there are those who want to kill a whole race of people. Over the past 100 years, we have had multiple instances where one race wants to kill another race. More than once, people have wanted to kill all the Jews!

Thankfully, in this story in the Bible, Haman was stopped from achieving the malice in his heart.

Mordecai went to Queen Esther and asked her to go to the king to plead for the Jews to be spared. She had everyone fast and pray for three days, and then she went to the king. She prepared three banquets for the king and Haman, and on the third banquet, she revealed Haman's plan and edict to kill all the Jews.

Queen Esther took a risk to save her people, and God blessed her. She was able to show kindness to others and save them from Haman and his evil plans.

We may not have situations as severe as they did in this true Bible story, but there will always be evil and malice around us. Can we choose to live with kindness, and fight the malice in the world today?

Questions:

1. Why doesn’t God just wipe out all the evil people?

2. Are babies born pure and without sin?

Life Application:

Protect someone this week from someone who is being mean to them for no reason. As we protect someone else, we will also combat this sin in our own hearts. Risk your own reputation to protect someone else.

Want more?

This reading plan is taken from Equip & Grow's children’s curriculum, looking at being a champion by putting into practice the Fruit of the Spirit. Enjoy this plan at home, and then do the full curriculum at church with student books, games, crafts, songs, decorations, and more!

https://www.childrenareimportant.com/champions/index.php