1 Chronicles 19:1-4  “In the course of time, Nahash king of the Ammonites died, and his son succeeded him as king. David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father. 

When David’s envoys came to Hanun in the land of the Ammonites to express sympathy to him, the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Haven’t his envoys come to you only to explore and spy out the country and overthrow it?” So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved them, cut off their garments at the buttocks, and sent them away. (NIV)

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Some people mistake kindness for manipulation. 

Lead with kindness anyway. 

Every motivation reveals itself eventually. Kindness is preeminent in its self-revelation.

 I am presently practicing kindness to my large-screen computer sitting on my home office desk. I ran some maintenance software yesterday to tidy up around the margins, and it has decided not to obey my commands this morning. So I gave it the day off. I let it go to sleep for a while, and when I return home this evening, I’ll hit the ON button again and see if it has rested well and for the better. 

This is much kinder than punching it right in the middle of the screen. I have never done anything like that, but I have been tempted to do so a time or two. 

King David’s intention in the story above was pure kindness. It was a reciprocal kindness. The king who had died had been kind to David, and David was kind to him at his death. 

Kindness begets kindness. 

Sadly, that’s the last of the kindness in this story. What David meant for kindness, the dead king’s son and his advisors took as something sinister. So they responded to King David’s kindness with an act of serious unkindness. This led to an unnecessary war where a whole lot of people were killed who had nothing to do with the unkind behavior of a foolish prince and his advisors. 

It is far wiser to respond with kindness even when insulted than to choose reciprocal insults. Reciprocal insults shove relationships downhill fast. It’s hard to win friends and influence people without kindness. 

Jesus was never a jerk. 

At times, he was direct. He famously told the Apostle Peter, “Get behind me, Satan.” That wasn’t very nice, but it was kind. He corrected Peter in a manner that got Peter’s attention and reminded him who was really in charge here. 

Sometimes you and I forget who’s in charge, don’t we? Aren’t you glad Jesus is kinder to us than he was to Peter? 

Living and loving like Jesus involves massive doses of kindness. He was kind to Pilate, who gave the order to put him to death. He was kind to those who nailed him to the cross. He was kind to those crucified alongside him. He was kind to those who mocked him. He died to save them all. 

I’ve said at dozens of weddings that if husbands and wives will learn what 1 Corinthians 13 tells us – that love is patient, and love is kind – and master these two attributes, they will have a happy, healthy, wholesome marriage. 

How will you practice kindness today? 

How will you respond with kindness even when people behave like jerks? 

How will you employ kindness to keep bad situations from becoming worse? 

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I will employ kindness as a lead measure and a fitting response. 

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Our Father, kindness does not come naturally. It does come supernaturally. It’s part of the fruit of the Spirit that you build into our lives. Build kindness into our lives today. Empower us to make things better through kindness. May people experience your grace, mercy, and peace through the kindness that we live. Make us ever more like you in your kindness. Amen.