If you were to ask me a year ago what the difference between being "nice" and being "kind" was, I probably couldn't tell you. In fact, the majority of people would simply say, "Isn't that the same thing?" But as I've learned from God, no, it actually isn't.
How many of you are willing to raise your hand if I were to ask you if you've ever seen someone in need of any kind of help but you've just...kind of , turned your back on them awkwardly? I know I have. Plenty of times. But I've learned this recently from the Lord: to be a true disciple of Jesus, you can't turn your back on His friends. This doesn't mean that His friends (aka - those around us) are our friends, necessarily. You probably know a lot of people who you don't like, and that's perfectly normal. But what is God trying to tell us?
There's actually a very distinct difference between being nice and being kind. Being nice is the world's brand of goodness. Being nice only goes so far, and you're only nice to people until you start losing time for yourself. Being nice doesn't require sacrifice because it's easy to hold the door out for a person or two. But come on, are you really going to hold open the door for every single person when it's a particularly busy day and there are tons of people rushing in? Heck no. You've got places to be and people to see. Holding the door for one person is plenty generous.
Or how about this. Your parents have asked you to babysit your younger sibling as they go out on a special date, but you've already made long ago plans to go to a movie with your friends on a Friday night? What does the world tell you about "being nice?" The world might say something like, "Just go ahead and tell your parents you're busy tonight. You'll babysit next week. Your parents will understand if you ask them to let Aunt Gladys watch little Timmy tonight. Go and have fun." Sounds pretty enticing, right? Harmless even. But if Jesus had asked you to babysit, would you have said yes or refused?
So here we are at God's definition of goodness: kindness. Kindness requires sacrifice; it requires you to give up certain things they you may have enjoyed previously. It might require you to hold open that door until there is no one left to hold it open for. It might require you to be late for an appointment because you were sacrificing. It might require you to sacrifice your time with your friends for your parents' night out. Whatever the cause, reason, or requirement, sacrifice is hard.
No one ever said it was easy, and Jesus really never said it was easy! As a matter of fact, Jesus guarantees, "In the world you will have trouble." Wow, you may be thinking! If that's what it takes to follow Jesus, I might think twice next time! But then what does He add? "But take courage, I have conquered the world."
So Jesus tells us, "In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world." -John 16: 33
That's uplifitng! If God is for us, then who could be against us? Didn't Jesus sacrifice the biggest thing one can ever give up? He gave up His throne in heaven to come down to earth and bear the weight of our sins. He gave up His life so that you and I could share it with Him.
So. Being nice and being kind. There's a difference. But "in our human relationships, we want others to sacrifice themselves for us, yet it seems so hard to reciprocate the same towards others on a continual basis. Nevertheless, self-sacrifice is the essence of true Christianity, and we can begin by the kind use of the tongue." -Martin G. Collins
Hugs, Beverly :)
