Kindness

“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”
Proverbs 25:21-22 CSB

How do you treat those you don’t agree with or are unable to get along with? Do you ignore and avoid them? Do you say mean things about them to their face or behind their back? Maybe you have a conversation with them in your head and you tell them how horrible they are. Or maybe you treat them as if they don’t exist at all. These are all responses that are common in our culture, and most folks would tell you they are ok ways to respond. But that is not what God would tell us. The words we just read from Proverbs are also echoed by Jesus in the gospels, “Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you.” As a Christ follower we are to take a completely different approach to how we treat those we don’t get along with. We are to treat them with love and respect; we are to look for ways to show kindness and do good deeds for them. Why? Why doesn’t just avoiding them work? Remember our calling as followers of Jesus. We are to be “salt and light,” a testimony to the greatness and goodness of Jesus. Jesus is all about forgiveness and restoration, offering mankind hope and redemption. It is impossible to offer salvation by being unkind to and avoiding people. Our responsibility as ambassadors of Jesus is to show the love of Christ to those who are far from him no matter how they may treat us.
What has been your response to those who haven’t treated you well? Have you made the effort to respond to them with grace and humility, and to shower them with the kindness of Jesus? If not, maybe you should try; I think you will be surprised by the response you get and what happens in your heart.

-Pastor Tim