If you were to drive by the young man in the picture above, what’s something you might want to say to him. The first thing that comes to my mind would be, “Get a job!” He looks young, capable, and lazy. But what do I know about him? Does he have autism or a mental illness that stops him from work? Has he tried to get a job but doesn’t know how to keep one because of some issues he has? I don’t know. It’s easy to judge him.
The Scriptures say we are to practice kindness to those who are “poor.” And poor is more than just economically poor.
“…whoever shows kindness to the poor will be happy” (Prov 14:21).
“…one who is kind to the needy honors Him” (Prov 14:31).
Kindness.
One of my college professors has been so happily married after 50 years. When she was asked at a wedding what the secret to her marriage was, she said it was “kindness.” Her and her husband practiced kindness to each other.
And this may fit in the context of the very first proverb of this chapter:
“Every wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands” (Prov 14:1).
Typically women, especially of old, were not the home builders out cutting stones and chopping wood. The wise woman her builds her home with her love, her words, her kindness to her husband and children. The foolish one tears her husband down, criticizes him and complains against him. By her own doing she tears her house down.
There’s another theme that resonates with me in this season.
“Even in laughter a heart may be sad, and joy may end in grief” (v. 13).
“The heart knows its own bitterness and no outsider shares its joy” (v. 10).
I’m in a season of great, very prolonged distress and it seems like I can’t find anyone who even closely understands. It’s hard as if I’m not careful, it embitters my heart more. They just don’t get it at all. Ugh. People have all the answers without really having listened. I hope to fight against becoming that person myself.
