Daily Devotional
Kindness in Conflict Brings Glory to God
“A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.”
Proverbs 15:4
June 17, 2023
Ponder This
Are you a servant of the Lord? Then you can’t be quarrelsome. You’ve got to be kind in times of conflict. We all have times of conflict, but you need to be very careful when you get into an argument with another human being. It doesn’t matter whether that human being is saved or lost. There have been people who have opposed me, and I’ve tried to be kind to them. And I see God at work, not every time, but many times.
When I was a young pastor, I got a difficult letter from a member of the church. In the letter, he told me that he didn’t like my mannerisms or the way I preached. I prayed, “Dear Lord, help me to write back the kindest letter I can write.” I sent my response and then one day he came past the office and said, “You are the best friend I have.” When I’m in a quarrelsome situation with anybody, I must remember that there are people watching all around.
One woman came to her pastor and said, I have become a Christian because of you. And he said, “What was it that I preached that brought you to Jesus?” She said, “It was nothing that you preached. I was watching when a woman criticized you to your face. Your kindness to that woman convicted my heart. I knew what you had was real, and I gave my heart to Jesus Christ.”
- When has someone’s kindness impacted your life?
- When is kindness most difficult for you?
Practice This
Seek to extend extraordinary kindness to someone today.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
