Cultivating Kindness

Thought For The Week 180 By Val Warsop

A favourite story of mine concerns a little girl called Jodie who, one day, asked her Mum, “Do you have a pie you would like to lend to Yahweh?”  Puzzled, her Mum asked Jodie what she meant.  “Don’t you remember, Mummy,” Jodie replied, “that the Bible says, ‘He who is kind to the poor lends to Yahweh’? Well, I don’t think old Betsy has had a pie for a long time, and I thought perhaps you would like to let me take one over to her; then you would be lending it to Yahweh.” [see Proverbs 19:17] Children are wonderful, aren’t they?

The virtue of kindness is a core principle of discipleship, a beautiful quality that springs from the heart of our Father, Himself.  The scriptures urge us to cultivate and nurture it as we grow in spiritual maturity.  The apostle Paul advised, “Therefore, as [Yahweh’s] chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with…kindness…” [Colossians 3:12] The apostle Peter exhorted, ‘…employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop...’ seven challenging steps of grace [see 2 Peter 1:5-11], kindness being step number six.  So, Paul urges us ‘put on’, while Peter urges ‘make an effort’, which tells me that kindness is something we should continually cultivate as we walk with Yahshua.

Years ago, I found, and was challenged by, this lovely list in an old book called ‘Choice Gleanings’.

Kindness is love

·     It is doing ‘little’ things, things that may seem scarcely worth doing, and yet which mean much to those who receive

·     Kindness lends a hand when another is burdened

·     It speaks a cheerful word when a heart is discouraged 

·     It gives a cup of cold water when one is thirsty

·     It is always doing good turns to somebody

·     It goes about performing ‘little’ ministries with a touch of blessing 

·     It scatters its favours everywhere 

·     Few qualities do more to make a life bright and beautiful!

Will you allow a simple act of loving kindness flowing from the heart of a caring child to inspire you to make a difference to someone in your world this week; will you ‘lend’ something to Yahweh?

Photo by la-fontaine
https://pixabay.com/en/cake-usd-fruit-baked-goods-sweet-168168/

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