Wednesday, June 28, 2006

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

IDEA: Love is kind to those closest to us.

Paul writes, “Love is patient and kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4).

When you look back on your life, are there things or actions you regret?

Are there things you have done or things you didn’t do that you would like to change?

Is it easier to be kind to those closest to you or those that you don’t know well?

I. It is sometimes difficult to be kind to those closest to us. Why does this happen?

They see us when we let down.

This is the difference between courtship and marriage.

There is a difference in witness toward non-Christians and Christians.

We take Christians for granted. Lester Harnish recounted the following:

Two famous American authors came one day and sat down with Thomas Carlyle just to hear him elucidate out of his great fund of wisdom. For one solid hour, Carlyle spoke on one subject after another. Finally out of sheer exhaustion, he stopped long enough to catch his breath. Silence reigned. 

Nearby was his wife. She was the one who had quit her work and given up her career in order to lose herself in her beloved husband. She served him like a slave, without recompense. 

Hearing her labored breathing, impatiently Carlyle said, “Jane, for heaven’s sake, don’t breathe so loudly.” 

It was a short time after that she took ill and died. Looking through her personal effects, Carlyle found her diary in which she had spelled out her love and devotion for him. She had expected no recompense except love. But he had been so busy impressing the world with his talents that he had no time to share his affection. She had died of a broken heart -- malnutrition of affection. (Carlyle went out that very day and started the first of daily pilgrimages to her graveside, where he would sit on the turf and rock himself in woe, saying, “O Jane, if I had only known, if I had only known!”)

II. We will never live with regrets about being “a little too kind.”

There may be times when you’ll be sorry about something you said, sorry you stayed too late, or sorry you left too early. Sorry that you said something or didn’t speak. But in all your life you’ll never be sorry you were kind.

I have wept in the night

For the shortness of sight

That to somebody’s need I was blind.

But I never have yet

Felt a twinge of regret

For being a little too kind.

We could strengthen one another if we are kind enough to thank those who are kind to us.