Be Kind: Devotions for Developing the Heart God DesiresSample

King Solomon wrote much of the book of Proverbs. Though he was far from perfect himself, the wisdom that came from Solomon was straight from God. He imparted to his sons training on godly wisdom, which begins with a fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:7). In Proverbs 26, he warned his sons about the hateful person who “disguises himself with his speech and harbors deceit within” (Prov. 26:24). 

In the following verses, Solomon would go on to say this hateful person with a “flattering mouth” (Prov. 26:28) would ultimately dig his or her own pit and fall into it (v.27), with his or her evil “revealed in the assembly (v. 26).” Tragically, you will see this often, and sometimes it will happen in the church. The flattering speech of this hateful person is given with “smooth lips” (v.23), showing how incredibly kind he or she would appear. This is fake kindness, which isn’t kindness at all. Kindness must be genuine, or it is just the shine of a snake’s skin. It may look appealing, but it’s dangerous. 

Prepare your heart to spot this kind of fake kindness from others in the future, and respond to it with genuine kindness. Protect your heart from being deceived by empty words of flattery from people who appear kind, but are actually just manipulating you. Watch for this same behavior in your own heart. Remember that your actions and words of kindness are strongest when they are not rooted in what you stand to gain from the person to whom you are showing kindness, but in the Holy Spirit’s prompting.