A Word About Kindness

Some time ago I was having a horrible day. I am sure you have experienced a day just like it, where everything seems to be against you and nothing at all goes right. Instead of turning to the Lord for help, I just became more frustrated. As a matter of fact, I didn’t give myself even a moment to think of the Lord! You can’t imagine the terrible look I was carrying around on my face, one that warned anyone who had it in their mind to bother me that they had better wait a while. I was trying to do a thousand different things at once, and I heard the phone ring. Of course, as busy as I was, I didn’t answer it. 

I did check it a little later though, and I heard a message that was like balm to my rough and rotten attitude. It was one of the ladies from my church. “Hello!” She said. “I just wanted to call you to tell you how much I love you, and how much you mean to me! You are in my prayers, and I can’t thank the Lord enough for you!” Oh, I just can’t tell you how much the bit of kindness in that one short message worked in my heart that day! Immediately my focus was put right again. I stopped everything I was doing to go have a visit with the Lord for a minute. I told Him all about my day and my attitude. I knew that He had spoken to that sister to give me a call that day, and how thankful I was that she obeyed His voice! When I went back to all that I had to do, I changed my attitude, with the help of Jesus. Where my frown had been, I put a smile, where my strained, short words were, I put gentleness. I was too ashamed to continue to be the way I was a few minutes before. Besides, my family certainly I remember one day in high school, not long after I had gotten saved, the group of worldly Christian girls that I called my friends were continually saying things that I knew wasn’t right. I asked them about it, and defensively they answered me that “it was ok to speak that way, because God knew their hearts and that they really didn’t mean it.” I decided not long after that to become close to a more conservative and godly group of friends. I think a lot of Christians feel that way. That it doesn’t matter what we say or do, because the Lord “knows our hearts.” I must disagree with that though. It does matter when I walk around with a sour attitude. Furthermore, it is proving that not all is right in my heart. If I act in an ungodly way, I am obviously not experiencing the fellowship of the Spirit just then. 

Many people will show much kindness to strangers or those at church, but at home they are very unkind. They speak rudely and bitterly to their husbands, they yell and speak roughly to their children, ordering them around in a mean spirit. Do you realize that who you are around those closest to you, is who you really truly are? One of the attributes of the Proverbs 31 woman is kindness: 

Proverbs 31:26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. 

She made it a law to be kind. Her mouth wouldn’t open to say anything that would break that law. There is never an excuse for being unkind. Kindness should be a ruling factor even during the discipline of children. If someone in your life is continually unkind to you, you are not released from your obligation to be kind to them. As a matter of fact, your kindness just might win them over! Consider Ephesians and Colossians: 

Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. 

Colossians 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 

As disciples, Jesus tells us in John 13:35 that He wants our mark to be love! He wants unbelievers to know we are followers of Him by the love that we have to one another. If an unbeliever consistently saw love and kindness manifested to others by words and actions, I’m sure that unbelievers heart would be softened, and maybe even made ready to receive the Lord! 

Some Christian women find it hard to be kind to some members of their own church. They will be nice to those they call their friends, but they have others who have “crossed” them in some way. That person is forever branded as an enemy. She ignores her, backbites about her and shows in every way possible that she does not like her. When the person walks by, she pretends not to notice. Ladies, this should not be in the churches of our Lord! We should be utterly ashamed to act in such a way. It is nothing but unkindness and sin to spread rumors about others, telling business that is none of yours to tell. If someone comes to you to tell you supposed information about another that you recognize as gossip, Proverbs tells us how to stop it: 

Proverbs 25:23 The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue. 

Be responsible for yourself, for what you say, what you do, and definitely for what you hear. If there are those who are treating you unkind at your church or elsewhere, then you have a perfect opportunity to show the love of Christ to them. Go out of your way to say hello, pray for them daily, and do what kindness you can for them, regardless of their attitude to you. They will eventually become ashamed of themselves. Be sensitive to the leading of the Lord, and show whatever kindness you can to those around you. You just never know what change you might produce in them through your obedience.

-Women of Great Price