Your kindness will reward you, but your cruelty will destroy you.
Evil people get rich for the moment, but the reward of the godly will last.
Godly people find life; evil people find death.
The Lord detests people with crooked hearts, but he delights in those with integrity.
Evil people will surely be punished, but the children of the godly will go free.
A beautiful woman who lacks discretion is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout.
The godly can look forward to a reward, while the wicked can expect only judgment.
Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything.
The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.~Proverbs 11
It was just a few days before Christmas and my wife, Cari, was standing in the checkout line at the market. The young mother in front of her was carefully assessing the contents of her cart and slowly setting aside items one by one. Cari’s initial impatience turned to compassion as she surveyed the growing pile of items that had been removed and realized the woman didn’t have enough money to purchase them.
“I’d like to pay for those,” she told the checker. The young mother turned with a surprised look on her face: “That’s too much!” she said. Cari, prompted by God’s love and remembering how a stranger, miles away, had bought our own daughter’s groceries in a difficult time, smiled and responded, “Merry Christmas.” They both left the store with tears in their eyes.
Christmas came early to our home with a fresh awareness of God’s kindness and generosity to us through His Son. Solomon wrote in Proverbs of those who are generous: “Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed” (11:25). In the following days we were refreshed by a renewed understanding of how God had met our greatest need of all—our need for a Savior—and how His love can unexpectedly overflow from our hearts to others in need.
Kindness is contagious! Because of what Jesus has done for us, may God give us grace to make a generous, practical difference in others’ lives.
– James Banks
What immediate needs do you see around you? How can you share God’s kindness in a practical way?
Thank You, Father, for seeing my need and sending Your Son. Please help me to act on Your love by generously helping others
