Kindness with Conviction

"Never let loyalty and kindness leave you!  Tie them around your neck as a reminder.  Write them deep within your heart."  Proverbs 3:3

Recently I was taking stock of the people I admire most in life and some of the qualities they share that make them so admirable.  

Besides an obvious love for God, I noticed that they were all very passionate people--people of strong conviction.  They were also all people who went out of their way to show kindness to others--generous with their time & talents, always thinking of others above themselves, never dominating, but always doing--doing good.

Do you know people like that?

People tend to think of those with strong conviction as abrasive, bulldogs, loud, and dominating.  But, I've found those with the most conviction--active conviction--to be the kindest people I've ever met.  These people know that being kind won't necessarily change evil, hateful people, but their kindness is woven into their very fabric.  It is part of who they are.

Isaiah 26:10 tells us, "Your kindness to the wicked does not make them do good.  Although others do right, the wicked keep doing wrong and take no notice of the Lord’s majesty."  These admirable people are undeterred and undistracted by wicked people.  They know that their time and the talents God has given them are valuable, and they set about using them for His glory.

Do you do that?

Kindness is a choice, and real, long-lasting kindness is one of the fruits of a life lived under the Holy Spirit's control.  It's what our God is like, too.  "The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness" (Psalm 145:17).

May we all learn to exemplify the powerful combination of kindness with conviction every day.

Goodnight, Runners.