Serious Kindness
“Thus says the LORD of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” Zechariah 7:9-10
It almost seems silly. In the last couple of days I have talked to women about adultery, pornography, the abolition of abortion, the serious nature of verbal abuse, and making serious life changes. But, in the midst of all of that, what comes to mind is kindness.
Sometimes, facing these issues can cause us to be overwhelmed or afraid of what is to come. But often, if we look around, we will see the blessings that God is giving us amid the turmoil that we know as our everyday lives.
Receiving kindness is such a blessing. It is amazing to me that as people work to love and serve God these awful circumstances can enter into their lives. But, more amazing is that they can show kindness while they fight for their marriages, their children’s safe future, the lives of the unborn, and the fear of what may come.
A Simple Act
My own husband is in the middle of important deadlines for bids, a major programming project, and trying to learn, discern, and decide about fighting cancer (again) traditionally or alternatively. But, on Saturday he moved a bird feeder so I could enjoy it for longer periods of time during the day. It was an act of kindness.
Shouldn’t I be the one being kind to him as he goes through these days?
The women I have talked to have also shown me that they are keeping their eyes on the Lord and not their circumstances. They were considerate about my time, locations for meeting so it was easy for me, and their own determination to manage their problems with the Lord. I see acts of kindness coming through their hard times.
Faith and Kindness
For these people, this was not an effort or something they even seemed conscious they were doing. Their faith, their understanding of the sovereignty of God, and their understanding of their need to obey God, all contribute to their desire to treat others well (i.e., to be kind).
In the days of such serious problems going on in our culture, it may seem trite to bring up our need to be kind to one another. However, if we do not take this command to be kind seriously, we will still fall far short of the expectations of God for how we are treat one another.
With the weight of these serious issues people need to talk about, kindness may be the thing that we can give to each other so that we do not lose hope but see the work of the Lord in the little things – so we trust Him for the big ones!
Not so Silly
In retrospect, it is not silly. It is the command of God. “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ, forgave you (Ephesians 4:32).”
Forgiveness, patience, tone of voice, attitude, service, considering others more important than ourselves…are we showing kindness to those closest to us, as well as to those we see who may just need to experience some in the midst of some pretty hard stuff?