A kind word is such a healing and life affirming thing. Kindness is not flattery. Its does not have an ulterior motive. It is the truth spoken in love and it is wonderful. Today someone said something really lovely to me. It was unsought for and genuinely meant and it made me feel great. And humbled.
It costs nothing to be kind. It can sometimes be hard to receive it though. Two pieces of wisdom have been on my mind today. One was given by Bill Nisbet ( Edinburgh City Fellowship) many moons ago. During some teach or preach or sermon or something he said
if you bat back someone's compliment and deny the truth of it then you are, in effect, calling them a liar.
That had a profound impact on me and changed the way I think and behave from that moment on. I decided to just say ' thank you' when someone says something nice. Not to deny it ( ' what, this old thing?' ) but to allow the giver of the compliment the pleasure of giving it.
The other wisdom was from John Smith. An Australian pastor to bikers and chaplain of the Hells Angels. He has an amazing story - I first heard him preach a radical gospel at Greenbelt when I was a very new Christian and later sought out his teaching through books and tapes whenever I could. Something he passed on in his teaching is simple but profound
It's more important to love than to be right.
I think if we were to plant these two gems deep in our spirits the world would be a better place. It is more important that I am kind to you than that I win the argument or get my own way. And when you appreciate something about me I shall accept it with gratitude and believe that even if I dont see what you see, you are telling the truth. Perhaps if I can receive your compliment I can start to see myself in a more positive light.
So, a more balanced view of ourselves in relation to others, and in relation to ourselves.
So as we look forward to Easter and that time when God proved His love for us, let us accept the fact that we are loved. Let us embrace that death shattering truth and realise that our own agendas and arguments and soapboxes are much less important than people. People who may oppose us and argue against us and may well be wrong...... but people for whom He also died and who He loves every bit as much as He loves us.
Lord, Thank you for your amazing love. Help me to love my neighbour, to love myself and to believe that I am loved. Amen
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