Readings for today: 2 Chronicles 9-12, Psalms 73
Kindness seems in short supply these days. In fact, kindness no longer seems to be a virtue in some circles. It is despised. It is rejected in favor of anger or hate or sacrificed in pursuit of power. Kindness is now equated with weakness. Those who are kind are perceived to be soft. Compromising. Even cowardly. I wish I could say this was a secular problem but sadly, it’s become a spiritual one as well. Despite the fact that kindness is an attribute of God, far too many Christians have exchanged kindness for crassness. Gentleness for brute force. Humility for pride. It’s hard to watch and it reminds me of Rehoboam’s tragic response to his people.
The people were weary after laboring so hard under the reign of Solomon. They naturally sought relief when Rehoboam ascended to the throne. They came before him and asked him to set a different course. Lighten the load. Make the burden easier to bear. They didn’t do this to avoid work. They weren’t engaged in any kind of rebellion. They simply were asking for a bit of grace. Rehoboam sought out the wisdom of his counselors. His older, wiser counselors told him, “If you will be kind to this people and please them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.” (2 Chronicles 10:7 CSB) They had seen the demands Solomon had placed on them for decades and knew the people were at their breaking point. All Rehoboam had to do was show a little kindness. Speak words of understanding. Offer mercy and grace and help in their time of need. Had he done that, he would have won over the people forever and kept his kingdom together. Unfortunately, Rehoboam listened to his peers. He followed the advice of his younger, more foolish and entitled counselors who told him to increase his hold on the people. Tighten his grip. Brook no challenge to his authority. The result was division and outright rebellion from which the nation never recovered.
I find the same dynamics to be true in our world today. The more use power and control and authority to get our way, the more bitterness and anger and frustration we create. The more we turn to force, the more it backfires on us. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. When we reject kindness and gentleness and humility for spite and force and pride, we can expect there to be a backlash every single time. People will mirror the behavior they see in us. It could be our spouse. It could be our kids. It could be our friends. It could be our enemies. It happens in homes and communities and schools and churches and businesses and nations all over the earth. The result is always division. Always dissension. Always conflict. Perhaps that’s why the Apostle Paul is quick to remind the Roman Christians that it is God’s kindness that leads to repentance. He is quick to remind them of the gentleness and humility of Christ in the face of our own hatred and anger and violent rebellion. Kindness leads to repentance. Gentleness turns away wrath. Humility seeks to serve rather than be served. This is the way of Jesus.
Readings for tomorrow: 2 Chronicles 13-17, Psalms 74