God's Kindness

"The places in our personality where we tend to deviate from love are...our wounds."  "Treating someone with compassion and forgiveness is much more likely to illicit a healed response."  --Marianne Williamson, "A Return To Love"


The above quotes remind me of a song from the 1980's written and sung by Leslie Phillips.  I couldn't find her singing it, but this rendition is just a lovely: Your Kindness

I sang this song back then in a church I was rather new in.  A young man I did not know came up to me afterwards wanting to know the scripture I'd referred to before singing it:  Romans 2:4 "...realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance."  He told me it was exactly what he needed to hear--that God loved him no matter what.  The song spoke to his need to turn to God for his forgiveness and the assurance he would receive it.  The first part of the verse says, "Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness...."  This is the other side of the coin.  Throughout scripture you'll find that to receive God's grace means more will be required from you--to whom much is given much is required.  In God's economy we can't expect to be given much and then hoard it.


I love the story of Pollyanna because of her indomitable spirit.  She was determined to find the good in people and situations.  

Here is an excerpt from the 1960 movie where Pollyanna explains the Glad Game: The Glad Game  The word "pollyanna" is even in the dictionary now.  It means "an excessively cheerful or optimistic person" but is often used in a derogatory manner to refer to someone who is being accused of being naive.  


Perhaps that is our problem--we have become too cynical as a society.  We don't believe there is any good in people and therefore don't expect it from them.  We hone in on their faults rather than their good deeds.  Why is that?  If you believe the quote at the top of the page, then it's because of our wounds.  The second quote gives us the solution for healing those wounds.  But first, we must start with forgiving ourselves.  This is the hardest part because so many of us don't even realize that we need to forgive ourselves.  For what?  For rejecting God's love.  Our stubborn pride won't admit we belong to Him and that we need Him.  Then we must forgive others.  The Lord's Prayer tells us as we forgive others we will be forgiven.  It's all tied together because we are told to do unto others as we'd have them do unto us.  Just like God's kindness to us is meant to lead us to kindness toward others--that is, it leads us to repent of our unkindness towards others--our kindness to others will lead them to repent of their unkindness.   


Father, too often I take and take and do not give back.  Thank you for reminding me that in being glad for all that You've given me I will be in a place to help heal wounds rather than inflict them.


Link to scripture:  Romans 2:1-26

Take action: CLASP