St Alban's, Tattenhall

Random words of kindness and mercy for 2012.

The secular world has already predicted that 2012 is going to be a difficult year for many people economically. These predictions are not at all new to us for they have become part of our lives. We know that God has enough for all his people but greediness and selfishness has caused a lot of unnecessary suffering among the less fortunate in our society today. As Christians and good citizens, we however know that it is always good to be a blessing to others in times such as these. It pleases God to realise that we have not yet lost His teachings on kindness and mercy in our vocabulary. There is someone out there who is patiently waiting not only to hear these words but to see them in action.  Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world”. (James 1:27)

 The second of the three fruits most directly associated with personal, human relationships is kindness. The translators of the King James Version of the Bible render this Greek word as "gentleness."  James, the author writes that ‘good water and bitter water should not come out of the same well’ (James 3:1). He is talking about the words we speak.

May we this year make a resolution that we are going to say random words of kindness and mercy to at least one person every day. May we also bless or compliment someone just because we can. Whether it be your spouse, your child, your neighbour, or the stranger standing in front of you in the grocery store, you are going to find one person every day that you can bless with words of kindness and mercy. As the Psalmist said in Psalm 19 “May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, My Rock and my Redeemer.

What better New Year’s resolution can be made than a goal of doing something that will be pleasing to our God and creator? Now this is something to think about in 2012! 

Happy New Year to you all.