It's been far too long since I posted here; life got busy as it often does and it simply slipped my mind! But I'm back with another post, and I'm really excited to explore these ideas together. <3
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Have courage and be kind.
You've probably heard this short maxim before, and perhaps you even associate it as I do with Disney's beautiful Cinderella remake in which it is used to highlight the movie's theme. It's a short and simple concept, but that doesn't make it any less meaningful. We should never underestimate the power of courage, kindness, and the courage it takes to be kind. In fact, both courage and kindness are highlighted a lot in God's word, especially as ways that Christians have to live!
So, what exactly do courage and kindness look like? What does the Bible say about them? And how can they apply to the Christian life? Let's take a look.
Courage
The dictionary defines courage as "the ability to do something that frightens one." Courage suggests perseverance through fear, and differentiates itself from bravery, which usually means a lack of fear. There are stories and movies and quotes all around the world calling us to this admirable quality, but where exactly does this courage come from?
Deuteronomy 31:6 says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you." This powerful call to courage is based not on the inner strength of ourselves, but on the strength and goodness of God. So how exactly can we have courage? By trusting ourselves to God and taking confidence in His protection and power.
Courage is something that is very important to Christians, because there are so many challenges in life that require it. Jesus Himself even promises that we will have hardship; "In the world, you will have tribulation." (John 16:33 ESV) He doesn't follow this by saying 'but be brave, because you are strong,' or 'in the end, you will conquer the world.' Instead, he says "But take heart; I have overcome the world." The world is a terrifying place, but we can have courage because Christ Himself is sovereign over the universe.
Kindness
A quick google of 'kindness' renders something along the lines of "the quality of being friendly, generous, or considerate." Kindness has been described as a way to brighten other's days, and spread love between people, but what exactly does kindness really mean?
Ephesians 4:32 commands Christians to "be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave [us]." God doesn't simply call us to summon up kindness from within ourselves. Instead, Paul appeals to us on the basis of God's great forgiveness to forgive and love others in the same way. The idea is that because of just how great a debt God forgave us through Christ's sacrifice, nothing should be too much for us to forgive others. Woah.
But what about our enemies, and the people who do us wrong? Well, you're probably familiar with the Bible's command to bless the people who persecute us, and the popular saying "kill 'em with kindness." Romans 12: 20 paints a pretty clear picture of exactly how we should treat our enemies. Check it out; "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” This isn't to say we should let people walk all over us, but we are commanded to treat the people in life who wrong us the same way Christ did.
The Courage to be Kind
I think a lot of people underestimate the courage it takes to be kind. It doesn't seem that hard to be kind most of the time. But what about when your siblings are driving you crazy? What about when you're emotionally tired and stressed out? What about when nobody else is watching? What about when your friends walk in the other direction?
Kindness is a difficult task, but a necessary one. Our human flesh always tells us to turn the other way, but we know that's not what Jesus wants. We have to pray that He will give us the courage to do the right thing when it comes to loving others, and that all actions of ours will stem from His extraordinary kindness towards us. And where rubber meets the road, we must have the courage to do the right thing.
I'll admit it; I am far from perfect when it comes to this. Sometimes it's so much easier to do and say nothing. I have to remind myself that Jesus is watching, and He will help me to do the right thing if I ask Him.
I'll leave you with this verse, where Jesus, as always, says it best. John 15:12 " 'This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
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Thank you so much for reading! I hope you will be encouraged this week as you seek to follow Christ.