“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
(Ephesians 4:32, ESV)
(Ephesians 4:32, ESV)
I had the privilege of meeting an old man named Dusty. Dusty was getting on in years. He was in his seventies. He never married. I heard it said that Dusty met a girl when he was young, fell in love, but something happened, and they were not able to get married. Losing his soulmate, Dusty never felt a desire to marry anyone else.
Despite losing his soulmate, Dusty decided to do something with his life that was incredibly unselfish. He dedicated his time to his church and to helping those who needed it. I never knew him to turn down a request for help. When a widow from the church needed help with a leaky pipe, he would try to fix it. When the church entrance door squeaked, he brought a can of oil to church to lubricate it. When the manger from the church nativity scene needed some epoxy and nails to fix its wobbly-ness, Dusty spent an hour of his Saturday morning taking care of it. When the neighbor next to the church broke the latch on her gate, Dusty set aside a few minutes of his day to help replace it. And no matter what Dusty did, he did it with a smile.
Years later, I was told that when Dusty died, it took his family days to clean his old truck and workshop which were filled with glues, tapes, tools, clamps, straps and bunches of other “helps” for any fix-it job Dusty might find along the way. Dusty was fondly remembered by many who were blessed with his kindnesses to others, to his church, to God.
Sadly, our world does not have a lot of people like Dusty. Kindness is now a rare and wonderful thing. People are so prone to selfish greed. They get upset over so-called “micro-aggressions”. They can be defensive and vengeful. Even when you want to do something nice, people can find a way to criticize your attitude or make fun of your words.
A story on the news surprised me. A man was approached by the police and threatened with arrest. What had he done? Several days after a big snow, the man noticed some children walking to school. Because his neighbor had not shoveled the sidewalk, the children were tripping and sliding on the ice that had developed. A woman walking her dog on that slippery sidewalk almost fell. The man took his shovel and some ice-melt and proceeded to shovel and spread ice-melt on the sidewalk for his neighbor. The neighbor was indignant and called the police to threaten the man never to touch his sidewalk ever again!
On the internet, I saw a video where a handyman was threatened for mowing the lawn of an elderly woman who was disabled. The reason for the threats? The next-door neighbor was from the Homeowner’s Association. She was going to write up the elderly woman with a big fine and now could not!
A man saw two elementary-age boys hitting another boy, then taking his lunchbox. The man yelled at the boys for the assault, ran after them, and took back the lunchbox. The man returned the lunchbox to the boy, checked out the boy for bruises, then sent him on his way to school. Later that day, a woman from Child Protective Services was sent to the man’s home to ask why he dared threaten two boys and touch a third boy! It was revealed that the boy who had done most of the beating up had blamed the man for everything while proclaiming his innocence to parents and the city authorities. A video surveillance camera on a house nearby caught everything, including the young boy’s lies!
People can be downright infuriating, mean, cruel, judgmental, selfish, and cold-hearted. Don’t let that stop you from doing God’s work! Don’t let that get in the way of being godly. The scripture for today from Ephesians 4:32 is an urgent request by the Apostle Paul that you should “be kind”, “tenderhearted”, and “forgiving”. There is no mention in the scripture that you don’t have to be kind to bullies, helpful to the crabby, or forgiving to the cruel. Your job as a godly soul is not to bring kindness or forgiveness only to those who deserve it! Everyone you meet needs a chance to see your kindness, your tender heart, your forgiving attitude!
Jesus said you need to” love your enemies and do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27). God makes the sun to shine on both the good and evil. He sends rains to nourish the land of the just and the unjust alike! (Matthew 5:45). In the same way God cares for every living soul, your kindness and forgiveness should extend far beyond those who can pay you back or reward your good will (See Matthew 5:46!)!
“THERE is a story of an old man who carried a little can of oil with him everywhere he went, and if he passed through a door that squeaked, he poured a little oil on the hinges. If a gate was hard to open, he oiled the latch. And thus he passed through life lubricating all hard places and making it easier for those who came after him.
People called him eccentric, queer, and cranky; but the old man went steadily on refilling his can of oil when it became empty, and oiled the hard places he found.
There are, many lives that creak and grate harshly as they live day by day. Nothing goes right with them. They need lubricating with the oil of gladness, gentleness, or thoughtfulness. Have you your own can of oil with you? Be ready with your oil of helpfulness in the early morning to the one nearest you. It may lubricate the whole day for him. The oil of good cheer to the downhearted one—Oh, how much it may mean! The word of courage to the despairing. Speak it.
Our lives touch others but once, perhaps, on the road of life; and then, maybe, our ways diverge, never to meet again. The oil of kindness has worn the sharp, hard edges off of many a sin-hardened life and left it soft and pliable and ready for the redeeming grace of the Savior.” (Lettie B. Cowman, Streams in the Desert, p. 351,)
Because God calls you to be kind, who might benefit from that kindness? Which of those who have done wrong need to experience your forgiveness? Can you soften your heart toward others, even those who could care less about you?
Despite losing his soulmate, Dusty decided to do something with his life that was incredibly unselfish. He dedicated his time to his church and to helping those who needed it. I never knew him to turn down a request for help. When a widow from the church needed help with a leaky pipe, he would try to fix it. When the church entrance door squeaked, he brought a can of oil to church to lubricate it. When the manger from the church nativity scene needed some epoxy and nails to fix its wobbly-ness, Dusty spent an hour of his Saturday morning taking care of it. When the neighbor next to the church broke the latch on her gate, Dusty set aside a few minutes of his day to help replace it. And no matter what Dusty did, he did it with a smile.
Years later, I was told that when Dusty died, it took his family days to clean his old truck and workshop which were filled with glues, tapes, tools, clamps, straps and bunches of other “helps” for any fix-it job Dusty might find along the way. Dusty was fondly remembered by many who were blessed with his kindnesses to others, to his church, to God.
Sadly, our world does not have a lot of people like Dusty. Kindness is now a rare and wonderful thing. People are so prone to selfish greed. They get upset over so-called “micro-aggressions”. They can be defensive and vengeful. Even when you want to do something nice, people can find a way to criticize your attitude or make fun of your words.
A story on the news surprised me. A man was approached by the police and threatened with arrest. What had he done? Several days after a big snow, the man noticed some children walking to school. Because his neighbor had not shoveled the sidewalk, the children were tripping and sliding on the ice that had developed. A woman walking her dog on that slippery sidewalk almost fell. The man took his shovel and some ice-melt and proceeded to shovel and spread ice-melt on the sidewalk for his neighbor. The neighbor was indignant and called the police to threaten the man never to touch his sidewalk ever again!
On the internet, I saw a video where a handyman was threatened for mowing the lawn of an elderly woman who was disabled. The reason for the threats? The next-door neighbor was from the Homeowner’s Association. She was going to write up the elderly woman with a big fine and now could not!
A man saw two elementary-age boys hitting another boy, then taking his lunchbox. The man yelled at the boys for the assault, ran after them, and took back the lunchbox. The man returned the lunchbox to the boy, checked out the boy for bruises, then sent him on his way to school. Later that day, a woman from Child Protective Services was sent to the man’s home to ask why he dared threaten two boys and touch a third boy! It was revealed that the boy who had done most of the beating up had blamed the man for everything while proclaiming his innocence to parents and the city authorities. A video surveillance camera on a house nearby caught everything, including the young boy’s lies!
People can be downright infuriating, mean, cruel, judgmental, selfish, and cold-hearted. Don’t let that stop you from doing God’s work! Don’t let that get in the way of being godly. The scripture for today from Ephesians 4:32 is an urgent request by the Apostle Paul that you should “be kind”, “tenderhearted”, and “forgiving”. There is no mention in the scripture that you don’t have to be kind to bullies, helpful to the crabby, or forgiving to the cruel. Your job as a godly soul is not to bring kindness or forgiveness only to those who deserve it! Everyone you meet needs a chance to see your kindness, your tender heart, your forgiving attitude!
Jesus said you need to” love your enemies and do good to those who hate you” (Luke 6:27). God makes the sun to shine on both the good and evil. He sends rains to nourish the land of the just and the unjust alike! (Matthew 5:45). In the same way God cares for every living soul, your kindness and forgiveness should extend far beyond those who can pay you back or reward your good will (See Matthew 5:46!)!
“THERE is a story of an old man who carried a little can of oil with him everywhere he went, and if he passed through a door that squeaked, he poured a little oil on the hinges. If a gate was hard to open, he oiled the latch. And thus he passed through life lubricating all hard places and making it easier for those who came after him.
People called him eccentric, queer, and cranky; but the old man went steadily on refilling his can of oil when it became empty, and oiled the hard places he found.
There are, many lives that creak and grate harshly as they live day by day. Nothing goes right with them. They need lubricating with the oil of gladness, gentleness, or thoughtfulness. Have you your own can of oil with you? Be ready with your oil of helpfulness in the early morning to the one nearest you. It may lubricate the whole day for him. The oil of good cheer to the downhearted one—Oh, how much it may mean! The word of courage to the despairing. Speak it.
Our lives touch others but once, perhaps, on the road of life; and then, maybe, our ways diverge, never to meet again. The oil of kindness has worn the sharp, hard edges off of many a sin-hardened life and left it soft and pliable and ready for the redeeming grace of the Savior.” (Lettie B. Cowman, Streams in the Desert, p. 351,)
Because God calls you to be kind, who might benefit from that kindness? Which of those who have done wrong need to experience your forgiveness? Can you soften your heart toward others, even those who could care less about you?