Choose Kindness

Zechariah 7:9 ESV

Matthew 7:21-23 LB

John 14:6 ESV

Understanding kindness can be somewhat difficult. It seems like that’s because in today’s world we think of kindness as being a person who appears to do kind things.

Because that person does kind things people today make the assumption that person always does kind things, even to the point they let others misread them.

That is not Biblical kindness.

In Zechariah 7:9 we are told, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another.”

The catch that the modern world misses out on is “render true judgments” and thus in doing so you are showing true kindness and judgment.

By the Biblical definition the Prophet Zechariah makes it clear that by telling the truth…the whole truth we have taken the first step toward being kind.

Do you see the difference? In today’s world there are times when we tell the whole truth and others think that is unkind.

Not so.

Bible Study

That’s because real truth is telling the whole story.

Real truth can be hurtful.

Real truth is sometimes difficult to hear.

Jesus told real truth.

In Matthew 7:21-23 the disciple wrote, “Not all who sound religious are really godly people. They may refer to me as ‘Lord,’ but still won’t get to heaven. For the decisive question is whether they obey my Father in heaven. At the Judgment many will tell me, ‘Lord, Lord, we told others about you and used your name to cast out demons and to do many other great miracles.’ But I will reply, ‘You have never been mine. Go away, for your deeds are evil.’

Jesus was trying to help those who would listen that just using his name wasn’t enough.

The element that was missing was true surrender and humility.

Jesus was telling them this wasn’t some sort of game to make the assumption that if they looked kind and pretended to show mercy they would be true followers of his.

Not only did Jesus tell truth, Jesus was truth.

In John 14:6 Jesus told them, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jesus IS PURE TRUTH and it’s not a social game. It’s for real.

Deborah

acrazyjourney.com