I Will Shew Kindness
2 Samuel 10:2
“Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.”
In this fast-paced digital age in which we live, it seems like people have forgotten to be kind. When walking out in public, it doesn't take a person real long to see how unkind society has become. Driving down the road is an adventure as many drivers only think of themselves. You go to the restaurant and see large groups of people who are unkind to everyone else in the restaurant with their belligerence and noise. When I walk through airports as I travel, it is amazing the unkindness that is displayed towards gate agents who have no power over the delays which people are facing. Kindness seems to be a dying grace.
In the verse above, David wanted to show kindness to a young man who just lost his father. Hanun succeeded the throne of the children of Ammon after the death of his father Nahash. David, being a good friend, wanted to show kindness to Hanun realizing that he was probably grieving over the death of his father. Yet, we find that though David tried to show kindness to Hanun, his kindness was returned with unkindness.
As Christians we need to learn to be kind to people at all times. God commands us in Ephesians 4:32, “And be ye kind one to another...” God's command to be kind is not dependent upon whether someone is kind to us. No, God commanded us to be kind in spite of how others treat us. Just because someone is unkind to us does not mean that we should be unkind to them. In fact, the best way to show your Christianity is to be kind to those who are unkind to you. Kindness can go a long way in helping to improve the disposition of others.
Today as you go throughout your routines, be sure to be kind to everyone with whom you come in contact. Be kind by helping someone pick up something they have dropped. Be kind by helping someone carry something when their hands are full. Be kind by opening the door for others. Be kind by letting someone have the parking spot that is closer to the store. Be kind by letting someone out into the street when there is a long line of cars. Be kind by writing a note to someone who is going through a rough time. Be kind to the person who has to deal with your inconveniences. These are just a few ways to be kind, but you can certainly find many other ways to be kind to people.
Remember, the Scriptures command us to be kind to one another. Being kind is something we must choose to do. When David said, “I will shew kindness…” he had to will himself to show kindness to Hanun. Kindness wasn’t just going to happen, David had to choose to be kind. Decide right now to make it a part of your daily life to be kind to everyone. Just learn to be kind to everyone because everyone is having a tough time.
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