Fruitful Living
The fruit of Kindness
• Kindness is a chritsian value
“But the fruit of the Spirit is kindness.” – Galatians 5:22 (NIV)
INTRODUCTION
Kindness is a basic need of every human. Down through the ages, many efforts have been made to motivate and reward people in order to meet this need at different levels. Sermons have been preached, coaching done, books written, and other measures taken to appeal to our shared humanity to help us to open the blocked reservoir of the “milk of human kindness.” May the LORD Himself pour into our hearts this milk and make us bear this fruit of the Holy Spirit who indwells us.
1. KINDNESS, ALWAYS APPLYING THE GOLDEN RULE
- Prejudice blocks the way of those who would like to practise the Golden Rule.
- Kindness starts with caring; being tender-hearted and compassionate toward others. We must make it our goal and habit to be actively looking for opportunities to show kindness.
- Kindness is listening to the hurt even if they are not our kind, or even if they don’t adhere to our religion.
- Kindness is applying the Golden Rule to all – even those beyond our sociological or ethnic circle. ‘Do to others what you would have them to do to you’ – Matthew 7:12, is the key to a majestic kindness that changes the world.
2. KINDNESS, ANGER WASHED BY GRACE
Kindness is the hallmark of God’s control of our lives. People who have submitted themselves to God’s control exhibit this grace. What is the evidence of kindness in life? Kind people are interruptible. They can stop what they are doing and care for others.
Jesus’ biography appears sometimes a haphazard hodgepodge of good deeds. Why is this so when He came to establish the kingdom of God? Because Jesus’ compassion allowed Him to be interrupted by the need of others; His great heart of kindness could not pass by anyone’s call for help. So He established the kingdom, but never by being unkind to the needy who thronged about Him throughout His ministry. Kindness is controlling our emotions and allowing the needs of others to interrupt our scheduled lives.
The world is looking for kindness. When people see our lives of openness and accessibility, then God opens a door for us to minister to them. In fact, kindness paves the way for our service. Kindness brings God close to those who need Him.
3. KINDNESS AS A WORLD VIEW
Amos 5:11-13 tells us the story of kindness by showing what unkindness is. The unkind in Amos’s day built stone mansions, elaborately landscaped with lush vineyards. Yet, they continued to take from the poor. Amos points to the unkind and calls them to repentance. He promises that judgement will come upon those who continually disregard the need of others.
Despite our own comfortable existence, we can become overwhelmed with the needs of the world. We wonder how one person can make any difference. We find we have little time to spare for the poor. Kindness is our willingness to care about others who may not have our standard of living. But the bottom line is that God expects our compassion. Citizens of God’s kingdom model the attributes of God and help others. God desires our kindness to spread His healing to others. As we show kindness to others, we share God with them and take away their sorrows. Surely kindness and empathy will heighten our own relationship with Christ.
4. KINDNESS AND OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST
God is kind, and His ultimate display of kindness was the sacrifice of His Son for the sins of all people. God loved the world so much that His kindness was spent to the very last drop of Christ’s blood. God created humanity to glorify Him, yet humans sinned and did not glorify Him. In fact, human rebellion required God to answer humanity’s sin with the life of His Son. The kindness of God leads the world to repentance. What a heavy penalty must be levied against all those who see the kindness of Calvary and walk past it unchanged.
5. KINDNESS, THE APPROACH TO GRACE
Josiah experienced the kindness of God first-hand (2 Chronicles 34:19-28). He understood God’s kindness when he became the recipient of God’s grace. Josiah knew his people and nation had sinned and forgotten God. Yet this king received incredible news from God: Josiah would be spared from disaster. His humility and contrition had led to forgiveness. God demonstrated grace to Josiah through these simple words, ‘I have heard you’.
When we consider God’s redeeming love in our lives, we are able to separate the smaller, everyday kindness of God from the truly great kindness of being spared from punishment for our sins. That is the grace of God and the kindness of Christ. Kindness and grace are sisters, if not identical twins. Martin Luther wrote that Jesus’ kindness is but God’s approach to grace and that we would do well to emulate Jesus’ kindness.
PRACTICAL WAYS OF SHOWING KINDNESS
- All humans continually enjoy the kindness of God and man on a regular basis. It might not be in the form or amount that we expect, but when we reflect on it, we will find ourselves as beneficiaries of more acts of kindness than we previously thought. And once we are beneficiaries, we need to become donors.
- Being kind is not as difficult as many make it out to be. When linked to the right Source—Jesus Christ, through His indwelling Spirit—every human will become a healthy, fruit-laden branch of kindness, offering the fruit to people within our close spheres of influence and beyond.
- Kindness is not a cloak that we can put on and off at will, but a way of life that we must adopt. If we are kind, it will reflect in our thoughts, words and actions. In our minds, kindness will prevail over hasty judgements, condemnation of others, evil suspicions, and surmising, evil plotting, anger, envy, jealousy, and hate will have no place there.
- If we are kind, our words will be seasoned with grace. Insults, slander, gossip, lies, curses and other foul words will not proceed from our mouths nor will we utter blasphemy. We will encourage, bind, heal, bless and spread sunshine to others with our words. Harsh, angry, resentful words will find no place on our tongue, and nothing that stings, shocks, or shames will we speak to another.
- Kindness in our actions will be manifest in thoughtful deeds and the offer of understanding, acceptance, and forgiveness to all, restitution to those we have wronged, restoration of the repentant, relieving of burdens of the young, the old, the sick and suffering. We will respond to observed needs and give hope to those bowed in shame and pain.
To Ponder: “kindness has converted more sinners than zeal, eloquence, or learning.” As you sow the seeds of the unique message of the gospel to others, remember to water it liberally with kindness, in your thoughts, words, and actions. Then, watch it grow – Frederick William Faber
Stay blessed!
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Website: saltandlightministriesgh.org
By Dr Joyce Aryee, the author
The internationally accepted definition (from the UN Palermo Protocol, 2000) identifies three elements:
ACT (What is done), which includes:
• Recruitment, transportation, transfer harbouring, or receipt of persons. How it is Applied:
In Ghana, traffickers recruit children from rural areas under false promises of education or employment.
MEANS (How it is done), which includes:
• Threats
• Coercion
• Deception
• Abuse of vulnerability
How it is applied:
Parents may be deceived into releasing children, or victims may be threatened into silence.
PURPOSE (Why it is done), which includes:
• Sexual exploitation
• Forced labour
• Slavery
• Organ harvesting
Key Insight:
Even if a victim appears to “consent,” such consent is legally irrelevant if coercion or deception is involved.
Islamic legal principles align with this framework by prohibiting exploitation (ẓulm) and unjust enrichment, rendering trafficking morally and legally impermissible (Bawono & Huda, 2025).
Forms and impacts of human trafficking
Human trafficking manifests in several forms:
• Child trafficking → educational deprivation, psychological trauma
• Forced labour → economic exploitation, health risks
• Sexual exploitation → severe physical and emotional harm
• Organ trafficking → life-threatening and ethically egregious
Human trafficking manifests in diverse and interconnected forms. Child trafficking leads to loss of education, long-term psychological trauma, and entrenched poverty.
Forced labour subjects victims to severe economic exploitation and hazardous working conditions, often resulting in deteriorating health. Sexual exploitation inflicts profound physical abuse and emotional damage, alongside social stigma.
Organ trafficking poses life-threatening risks and represents a grave ethical violation. Collectively, these practices undermine human capital, weaken social structures, and hinder sustainable development. These forms collectively erode human capital and social stability.
Legal and Institutional Frameworks
International Legal Instruments
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR, 1948)
The UDHR provides the normative foundation for global human rights law:
• Article 1: Affirms equality and freedom of all humans
• Article 4: Explicitly prohibits slavery and servitude
• Article 5: Prohibits torture and degrading treatment
Analytical Insight:
Human trafficking violates all three provisions simultaneously. Victims are deprived of freedom (Article 1), subjected to forced labour (Article 4), and exposed to degrading conditions (Article 5).
These align closely with Islamic prohibitions against oppression and injustice.
Palermo Protocol (2000)
This is the primary international legal instrument addressing trafficking:
• Provides the AMP definition (Act–Means–Purpose)
• Emphasises the 3Ps framework: Prevention, protection, prosecution
• Recognises victim rights and state obligations
Analytical insight:
The Protocol’s emphasis on protection and dignity parallels Islamic legal objectives, particularly the preservation of life and honour. Comparative studies show strong convergence between Islamic law and international anti-trafficking norms (Jamal, 2025).
Regional framework
African charter on human and peoples’ rights
• Article 5: Protects human dignity and prohibits exploitation
• Article 15: Guarantees equitable working conditions
Analytical insight:
The Charter contextualises human rights within African socio-cultural realities, reinforcing communal responsibility an idea that resonates with Islamic communal ethics (ummah).
National framework: Ghana 1992 Constitution of Ghana
• Article 15: Guarantees the dignity of all persons and prohibits torture or degrading treatment
• Article 16: Explicitly prohibits slavery, servitude, and forced labour
• Article 21: Guarantees fundamental human rights and freedoms, including personal liberty, freedom of movement, and constitutional safeguard against human trafficking. In particular, Article 21 affirms the right of individuals to move freely, make autonomous decisions, and live without coercion.
Human trafficking directly contravenes these rights by restricting victims’ movement, subjecting them to confinement, and denying their personal liberty through deception and force. Victims are often transported against their will and held in exploitative conditions, thereby violating their constitutional freedoms.
Consequently, trafficking not only breaches specific prohibitions under Articles 15 and 16 but also fundamentally undermines the broader human rights guarantees freedom from arbitrary restraint.
Human Trafficking Act (Act 694, as amended)
• Criminalises all forms of human trafficking, including recruitment, transportation, harbouring, and exploitation
• Provides for victim protection, rehabilitation, and reintegration through state-supported mechanisms
• Establishes institutional frameworks for investigation, prosecution, and inter-agency collaboration
Critical and normative insight:
The Act reflects Ghana’s commitment to safeguarding human dignity and aligns with international standards. However, enforcement challenges persist due to limited funding, weak institutional coordination, and low public awareness, which hinder effective implementation.
From an Islamic perspective, the provisions of Act 694 resonate strongly with core Sharīʿah principles. Islam unequivocally prohibits all forms of exploitation (ẓulm), coercion, and the commodification of human beings. Human trafficking violates the divinely ordained dignity (karāmah) of individuals, undermines justice (‘adl), and disrupts social balance. By criminalising trafficking and promoting victim protection, the Act indirectly advances the higher objectives of
Islamic law (Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah), particularly the preservation of life, dignity, and wealth. Thus, both Islamic teachings and Ghanaian law converge in condemning trafficking as a grave moral and legal injustice.
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Children’s Act (Act 560)
• Protects children from exploitative labour and harmful practices
• Promotes access to education, welfare, and holistic development
Domestic Violence Act (Act 732)
• Addresses physical, emotional, and psychological abuse often associated with trafficking
• Provides legal remedies, protection orders, and support systems for victims
By Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai, Kpone
Katamanso Municipal Chief Imam, Certified
Counsellor and Governance Expert
Jesus teaches, “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.”
Light is not meant to be hidden. In Ephesians 5:8, the Bible says, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”
This means our faith should be visible in the way we live. Not in a loud or forceful way, but in a consistent and genuine way.
When we choose honesty, kindness, patience, and love, we are shining our light. People may not always listen to what we say, but they will see how we live.
Your Life Should Point Others to God
Jesus says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
This is the purpose of being salt and light. It is not about drawing attention to ourselves, but about pointing people to God.
In 1 Peter 2:12, we are encouraged to live such good lives that others may see our actions and glorify God.
Our lives become a testimony. The way we treat people, the way we handle challenges, and the way we walk in love all speak loudly.Through us, others can begin to see the goodness and grace of God.
6. Being Salt and Light Requires a Living Relationship with God
We cannot live this life in our own strength.
In John 15:5, Jesus says, “Without me you can do nothing.” This reminds us that our ability to influence the world comes from our connection with Him.
As we spend time in prayer, study His Word, and walk in obedience, our lives are transformed. From that place, we begin to reflect Him naturally.
It is not about striving. It is about abiding in Him.
A Simple Reflection
To be salt and light means:
² To influence the world with Godly character
² To live differently according to God’s Word
² To shine through your daily actions
² To point others to Christ
² To remain connected to Him at all times
Conclusion
Jesus has already declared who you are. You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. The question is whether you are living out that identity.
The world needs your influence. The world needs your light. In your home, your workplace, your church, and your community, God has placed you there for a reason.
As you walk with Him, your life will naturally make an impact. Shine your light,
stay true to His Word and let your life bring glory to God.
By Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee
