Hosanna Restoration Church

Are you as kind as you should be, or even as much as you want to be? Usually. Sometimes. Maybe. I don’t know. That is a tuff question. I guess only God knows for sure. Now that is scary. He knows the very intentions of our hearts.

Perhaps none of those responses ran through your head, but they did mine. Kindness is listed as one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit and it is not really something that God intended to be used as an elective. You know what I mean don’t you? He does not leave it open for us to pick and choose when or to whom we will be kind. I believe that the consistency of our kindness is directly linked to the level of our loyalty to Christ.

So where do our loyalties lie. No matter who or what we are loyal to, our highest loyalty should be to the Lord and His Word. If not, it may be that the very person or thing we are loyal to will lead to our downfall. For instance, loyalty to my wife stirs a desire in me to defend her if someone is speaking against her. If I am not loyal to how God would have me defend her, I may not be so kind in my defense. It is possible to defend yourself or someone else without getting ugly, but not without God.

Loyalty to the Word of God can and will enable us to do things in ways that will keep us from acting wrongly and protect those around us. Our Christianity cannot be an act. If it is, it will like all plays, come to an end. When this happens, what is really inside will come bubbling forth. And that often leaves us feeling guilty and ashamed.

This is why God says to wear loyalty and kindness like a necklace. Don’t let them get away from you. By the way, I think it should be a very strong necklace, not one that is easily broken. Perhaps we should wear them like a log chain for a better picture. If we had a log chain around our neck it would be pretty difficult to forget that it was there. And if anything pulled on it, we would come to quick attention.

When I picture wearing these things, I am reminded of how Israel had customs of wearing things in boxes on their foreheads or belts around their waists that reminded them of the Word of God and to pray. In the movie Fiddler On the Roof, the main character refers to them as tradition. The problem with tradition is that it can become what we are most loyal to, rather than to God Himself. Think about it. Often times Christians are the unkindest people just because someone does not follow the same tradition as they do. We need to be careful that we don’t place personal preference before what God requires. He loves mercy and kindness. We may think we can justify being judgmental and unkind, but we are fooling ourselves.

It is a new year and new opportunity to strap on loyalty and kindness the way that God wants us to. Makes we want to be kinder, and more loyal to Jesus. How about you?