“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28)
The cast off are always the most appreciative when shown compassion. The one who was scorned for another, the one who has been rejected, those left to fend for themselves, when they are taken in and accepted as they are, they are most generally the ones willing to change for the better.
The Lord Jesus Christ was and still is kind, though He was not always nice and polite, He was compassionate, yet did not always seem very loving. If you had an infirmity, He would heal you, compassion is an action, not a feeling, it always seeks the welfare of another who is suffering, who is less fortunate, and I offer you this truth in this matter, you may not always feel like behaving in this way towards them. “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” (Matt. 5:44)
Being polite, contrary to the thought processes of Christians for the last thirty years or so, is not being kind, kindness is an action of love, and for the born-again believer, it is always done for the glory of God. Very few people you have met in your life have been impolite to you, the formalities, as it is said, must be observed in a civilized society. A “Good morning” or “How are you today” is expected, in some places even as one drives down the road a wave of the hand or at least a couple of fingers when opposing traffic comes our way is a sign of being polite.
Kindness emulates the man the Scriptures refer to as the “good Samaritan,” going out of one’s way, and at one’s own expense for the welfare of another, even towards a complete stranger, or an enemy.
Politeness is niceness, kindness is love.
“Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;” (Heb. 1:3)
“I and my Father are one.” (John 10:30)
The life of Jesus Christ showed us who God is, every facet of Him, from the kind acts of healing to the anger when casting out those in the temple, from shedding a tear at the tomb of Lazarus, to reproving His friends in the boat, Jesus was not always nice and polite, but He was always kind.
People can tell the difference you know, if you are third in line at the market, and you hear the checkout person say to the two people in front of you, “How are you today,” you can expect the same when it comes your turn to check out, they are being polite. Kindness takes the time to mean what is said, it has little time for the proprieties, it is motivated by love, and love is kind. Patient, forbearing, suffering with those who are suffering, carrying their burdens for them.
I have often wondered, the man who was called out of the crowd that day to carry the cross of our Lord that He could no longer bear, did he do so with a willing heart?
Kindness is always done out of love, a love for those who need help, and the best help we can offer to those we meet is the truths of the Scriptures. Trust these words my friends, most of the time they will not see you as very polite when you do so, but kindness is not being polite. “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” (Gal. 4:16)
