7 Lessons on Kindness

Read 2 Samuel 10.

Some wag once quipped, "No good deed shall go unpunished."  We see that here in chapter 10.  David showed great kindness to Mephibosheth because of his commitment to his best friend, Jonathan.  Next, he decided to show kindness to a neighbor at the death of his father.

Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had been kind to David in the past.  With the death of Nahash, Hanun, the son, became king.  As a caring good neighbor, David sent a small group of men to represent Israel to convey condolences and bring a message of comfort.  However, when David's men arrived they were perceived as spies and a threat.  The Ammonites abused the men and sent them home shamefully.  This resulted in a regional war.  Tens of thousands of enemy soldiers died.  God gave David victory and eventual peace with these nations.

Lessons on kindness from the leadership of David from Chapter 9.

1. He had a heart of compassion even for those who did not expect it and who could be a threat to him.

2. He took the initiative to be kind.

3. He demonstrated his kindness with peace and restorative acts.

4. He treated even a potential rival as royalty.

But kindness on our part is not always appreciated as we read in chapter 10.

1. Sometimes our best and purest motives may be completely misunderstood.

2. Sometimes our good intentions may be rejected and the very ones we are trying to help turn on us.  They may even enlist others to join them in the rejection.

3. Sometimes there is no choice but to face the false accusations and/or threats head on and trust God for the outcome.