Before you know it, a new year will be upon us. And one of the traditions that still is a part of New Year’s Eve is the singing of “Auld Lan Syne”. It is a ditty that was written by Robert Burns and a part of it goes like this: “For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.”
The song reminds that together we should take a cup of kindness yet…something that is very Biblical. Kindness is usually not one of those traits that people put on their resume or even list as something they strive to show each day. Not that we think it isn’t good…it is just one of those things that we don’t usually think about. But kindness is critical to our being because without kindness…love is not possible. When the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth God led him to include a section on love. And the first thing that he said in describing love is that it is patient and kind. Those two things, patience and kindness cannot be separated. The
word for patience is literally translated “long suffering”. To be patient is to be willing to suffer a long time. And if you are not kind, you will not bother with that definition of patience. And kindness, well in the ancient Greek that word meant “to be useful”. It also had that sense of compassion and generosity. But it looks like what we are to take from this is that if we are not kind…we are pretty much useless in the realm of the human experience. As I look at and hear people…we have a lot of useless folks out there. Kindness is not bestowed on us, like the color of our hair or the ability to run fast. It is a choice we make. To be kind is to be willing to suffer with others without breaking their hearts or spirits. And to show kindness is in fact love in action. And the Bible is pretty strong about our need to love the folks around us. And we need to remember that kindness, real kindness is a fruit of God’s spirit working in the heart of a person. So before you deliver that hammer blow to someone else today, remember that God has been kind to you, even when you didn’t acknowledge him. And when you have the opportunity, take a cup of kindness…and share it with someone else today. Here’s our Bible verse for today…
1 Corinthians 13:4 NLT Love is patient and kind.
Remember I’m praying for you…
PJ
For auld lang syne,
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.”
The song reminds that together we should take a cup of kindness yet…something that is very Biblical. Kindness is usually not one of those traits that people put on their resume or even list as something they strive to show each day. Not that we think it isn’t good…it is just one of those things that we don’t usually think about. But kindness is critical to our being because without kindness…love is not possible. When the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth God led him to include a section on love. And the first thing that he said in describing love is that it is patient and kind. Those two things, patience and kindness cannot be separated. The
word for patience is literally translated “long suffering”. To be patient is to be willing to suffer a long time. And if you are not kind, you will not bother with that definition of patience. And kindness, well in the ancient Greek that word meant “to be useful”. It also had that sense of compassion and generosity. But it looks like what we are to take from this is that if we are not kind…we are pretty much useless in the realm of the human experience. As I look at and hear people…we have a lot of useless folks out there. Kindness is not bestowed on us, like the color of our hair or the ability to run fast. It is a choice we make. To be kind is to be willing to suffer with others without breaking their hearts or spirits. And to show kindness is in fact love in action. And the Bible is pretty strong about our need to love the folks around us. And we need to remember that kindness, real kindness is a fruit of God’s spirit working in the heart of a person. So before you deliver that hammer blow to someone else today, remember that God has been kind to you, even when you didn’t acknowledge him. And when you have the opportunity, take a cup of kindness…and share it with someone else today. Here’s our Bible verse for today…
1 Corinthians 13:4 NLT Love is patient and kind.
Remember I’m praying for you…
PJ