The Law of Kindness

Prov. 31:26

"She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue."

As I think back to all the times that I have read this verse, I realize that I have always been convicted about the teaching of kindness being on my tongue. Sadly, in the flesh, I am not a kind-speaking person. I believe that to have my tongue speak kindly would be a powerful work of grace in my life. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control..." There you have it. I can never successfully have these qualities in my life for the long haul. If it were short-term, I could do it, but when stress interacts with my flesh, who knows what would pop out of my mouth. The Spirit must produce His fruit in my life for me to be kind.

I notice that in v. 26 the woman speaks wisely. What is the source of this wisdom, and how is it related to kindness? First, I must pray for it. Jas. 1:5 says that if I am lacking in wisdom, I can ask God who gives liberally. It is there for me if I but ask the Father. Prov. 2:6 says "for the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding." He wants to give me what I need. Why don't I take it? Somehow I think my holding on to my unkind words is a pride issue. When I speak that way, I feel I am justified in doing so because of the way that I have been treated. I think my flesh wants to speak back to people, to put them in their place. But such speaking is not a fruit of the Spirit. I have to let go of my tendency to protect myself and let God come first. Did Jesus speak back when He was insulted or judged unfairly? No, He only spoke the word of God. What an example for me, but oh how hard it is to let go of self! I think that God is saying to me, "Am I first in this too?" Jesus has to be my all. He has to be more important than any insult or injustice that I might endure.

Secondly, I think to speak kindly I would have to be saturated in the word of God. I would have to "bleed Bible." If I am seeking God in such a way, then my responses will all be different because they will be responses of grace. "Teach me to number my days that I may get a heart of wisdom." A heart of wisdom is what produces a tongue of kindness. What is in the heart comes out the mouth! Certainly, I am so much less unkind than I used to be, but still I am amazed when something terribly unkind pops out of my mouth. It makes me wonder what is buried deep within my heart. Like the psalmist, I must pray for wisdom. I must seek God every minute of my life. My 'self' must lose its power, and Spirit-power must be my operating principle.

Father,

I am convicted of my unkind words and my selfishness. Help me to turn in another way and walk away from these fleshly responses. According to the riches of Your grace, fill me with your love and wisdom so that I may know how to guard my mouth and my words. Help...

In Jesus name,

Amen