Daily Devotionals

Would You Rather? Week 4 Thursday

Your kindness will reward you, but your cruelty will destroy you. Proverbs 11:17

We often think that kindness is solely for the benefit of the recipient. However, this is not the case. When we show kindness to the people around us, not only are those people impacted, we are changed, too. Kindness causes us to look beyond ourselves to the needs of others. It causes us to become others-focused instead of being self-focused. Kindness changes us for the better. Conversely, showing unkindness also has an impact that goes beyond the recipient of that unkindness. Unlike the positive impact of kindness, unkindness yields negative ramifications. It hardens us. It makes us self-absorbed. Ultimately, Scripture teaches, unkindness will destroy us from the inside.

“Your kindness will reward you, but cruelty will destroy you,” Proverbs 11:17 teaches. This verse could not be clearer. Cruelty, or unkindness, leads to our own destruction. Unkindness destroys relationships. It takes us in a direction that we do not want to go. It corrupts us from within, causing us to live self-centered lives. Even more, unkindness destroys our witness for Christ. Indeed, unkindness destroys us from within.

Despite this grim truth, I have good news for you. If unkindness destroys, the opposite is also true. Kindness builds us up. Proverbs 11:17 puts it this way, “Your kindness will reward you.” Oh, friend, kindness grows us. It rewards us. It encourages us. How? When we are kind, we step out of selfishness, and we step into selflessness by thinking of other people. We spread the hope of Christ with the people around us. Kindness transforms us from the inside-out.

Would you rather be a person who is marked by kindness instead of cruelty and unkindness? This kindness does not happen by accident. It is intentionally developed, day by day, moment by moment, person to person. Take steps today to choose kindness. Let’s make an effort to let kindness lead each of our interactions today. Slowly, this intentionality will mold us and shape us into kind, compassionate people.

Moving Toward Action

If we want to be known for our kindness, we must have a good definition of kindness. Pull out a notebook or a journal and write about what it means to be kind. How does Scripture define kindness? Look up a dictionary definition of kindness. Then, write your own definition of kindness. Next, come up with one practical way that you can show kindness to someone today.

Going Deeper

Read Proverbs 11:1-31 (NLT)

The Lord detests the use of dishonest scales,
    but he delights in accurate weights.

Pride leads to disgrace,
    but with humility comes wisdom.

Honesty guides good people;
    dishonesty destroys treacherous people.

Riches won’t help on the day of judgment,
    but right living can save you from death.

The godly are directed by honesty;
    the wicked fall beneath their load of sin.

The godliness of good people rescues them;
    the ambition of treacherous people traps them.

When the wicked die, their hopes die with them,
    for they rely on their own feeble strength.

The godly are rescued from trouble,
    and it falls on the wicked instead.

With their words, the godless destroy their friends,
    but knowledge will rescue the righteous.

The whole city celebrates when the godly succeed;
    they shout for joy when the wicked die.

Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper,
    but the talk of the wicked tears it apart.

It is foolish to belittle one’s neighbor;
    a sensible person keeps quiet.

A gossip goes around telling secrets,
    but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.

Without wise leadership, a nation falls;
    there is safety in having many advisers.

There’s danger in putting up security for a stranger’s debt;
    it’s safer not to guarantee another person’s debt.

A gracious woman gains respect,
    but ruthless men gain only wealth.

Your kindness will reward you,
    but your cruelty will destroy you.

Evil people get rich for the moment,
    but the reward of the godly will last.

Godly people find life;
    evil people find death.

The Lord detests people with crooked hearts,
    but he delights in those with integrity.

Evil people will surely be punished,
    but the children of the godly will go free.

A beautiful woman who lacks discretion
    is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout.

The godly can look forward to a reward,
    while the wicked can expect only judgment.

Give freely and become more wealthy;
    be stingy and lose everything.

The generous will prosper;
    those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

People curse those who hoard their grain,
    but they bless the one who sells in time of need.

If you search for good, you will find favor;
    but if you search for evil, it will find you!

Trust in your money and down you go!
    But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.

Those who bring trouble on their families inherit the wind.
    The fool will be a servant to the wise.

The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life;
    a wise person wins friends.

If the righteous are rewarded here on earth,
    what will happen to wicked sinners?