Happy Mother's Day!
TO CHEW ON: "She opens her mouth with wisdom
And on her tongue is the law of kindness." Proverbs 31:26
The Proverbs 31 wife is a domestic virtuoso. She is a paragon of energy, industry, thrift, creativity, entrepreneurship, good management, and family loyalty. But the quality of hers that stands out for me, above all the rest, is her kindness.
Here is an exceptional woman, famous for her consistently kind speech. I love how the Bible writer puts it: "On her tongue is the law of kindness." The Message paraphrases: "When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly." What a model for us as women, wives, and mothers!
Of what does this law consist? A brief search of kindness in the Bible reveals:
- It is often reciprocal (Joshua 2:12 - Context: Rehab asks for kindness from the Israelites as repayment for her kindness to the spies - Joshua 2:1-21).
- It is related to graciousness, compassion (Psalm 112:4), mercy, humility, meekness, long-suffering (Colossians 3:12).
- It exhibits its feelings in "kindly affection" (Romans 2:12).
- It has a humble spirit that is considerate and "prefers" others (Romans 12:10).
- It involves forgiveness (Ephesians 4:32).
- Kindness is not something that just happens but something we "add" and work at with "diligence" (2 Peter 1:5-7).
I ask myself, if someone wrote about me in a Proverbs 31 way, would they say my tongue was governed by kindness? I know the answer. A little more adding and diligence is definitely in order. What about you?
PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to work at kindness in deed and speech. May it be the law of my tongue. Amen.
MORE: Sayings about KINDNESS
"Life is short and we never have enough time for gladdening the hearts of those who travel the way with us. Oh, be swift to love! Make haste to be kind."
—Henri Frederic Amiel
"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." —Mother Teresa
*******"Always be a little kinder than necessary."
—James M. Barrie
Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.
