Thursday, January 14, 2021
Kindness and Truth
In this post from social media: a call to pray for the nation's leaders and for truth to be made known. Kindness in words is necessary to change minds and Truth is a Person.
I agree with most of what you said last—I could almost have written it myself except being a father, not a mother, and the last sentence of which I disagree: the divisions began long before the current POTUS—some (I) would say as far back as mankind or before. Since you and I find ourselves in agreement (of sorts—politics aside), I hope you will read the rest of this post, as it is apolitical, addressed to me, you, and others claiming the name of Christ. It is out of sincere lovingkindness that I take my time to articulate this.
First, as a professing sister in Christ, I hope you (and those reading this) will join me even as you read this in praying for our nation’s leaders (1 Tim 2:1-2) and that all of our eyes—yours, mine, and others—will be open to see the truth, and that none of us would be blinded by the evil of this age (2 Cor 4:4, Matt 24:24). If someone claiming Christ cannot do this, they should examine their heart and see if, in fact, they really are a Christian.
Second, we both recognize that words have power—Scripture is full of these references, beginning to end. In using words, ** kindness ** is key to seeing people’s minds changed—if we’re not kind, our message will be lost and not be heard. Kindness is how God led us to repentance, through Christ (Romans 2:4). Be kind, and don’t mock; mocking is especially wrong. The implication throughout the Bible is that one who mocks is speaking from a framework of evil. So all of us who claim Christ, in our words we should seek to be kind and not mock: we are to be bearers of truth.
Lastly, as to truth, so many of us cry, like Pilate, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). Regarding truth, it is God in us (Holy Spirit) that reveals truth (John 15:26). Scripture makes it clear that all truth (little “t”) is God’s Truth (capital “T”), and that truth is not a thing, but a Person. Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6) ) and the answer to all questions, even those as simple as 2+2. All conversation—social media included—should be with the heart to reveal truth, as kindly as possible. Even when we try, we all fail at this at some point (or many points! :P) on social media. Making it more difficult, NOTHING is more offensive than the truth when one wants to believe a lie. When someone has a different view than ours, we should seek to understand why they do; only then can we understand them and why they may see things differently (are they believing a lie? truth?). Even in the Bible, there are truths that seem to contradict each other (Judas’ death, for example), but we know that those seemingly contradictions are actually true and it then falls to us, as seekers of the truth (and the Person Truth) to understand what is true. And that is why Holy Spirit lives in us (as Christians) and should be our guide in all of this, as we seek the truth and seek to show the world around us the Truth.
Concluding, if you (the reader—anyone reading this) have made it this far, even if you disagree with me, it would bless me and others if nothing else for you to reply that, according to the First thing I said, that you’ve taken the time now to pray for our leaders, our nation, and for every person in it to see and know the Truth.