VL - Issue 34 - January 2020

STEPPING FORWARD
So I continued to be kind. I tried to be
more compassionate and considerate,
generous and thoughtful, as well as patient
and gentle. And then it happened. Our son
asked to come home, and he promised to
do things the right way.
That night, with deep, godly sorrow,
he apologized for mistreating us. It was
a wonderful night, to say the least—a true
answer to our prayers. And it never would
have happened if we hadn’t obeyed the
Lord and been kind to our rebellious son.
Only the Lord knew what was needed to
change our son’s heart and to bring him
back home.
The kindness we extended to our son
brought him to repentance, changed his
ways, and brought him home. Today, he is
serving the Lord in amazing ways.
According to Romans 2:4, God’s kindness
is meant to lead us to repentance.
Repentance is birthed from the presence
of God in the heart of an individual. People
come to realize they need to repent
(change their ways) as they meet the kindness
of God on a daily basis.
Second Corinthians 7:10 (NIV) says,
“Godly sorrow brings repentance that
leads to salvation and leaves no regret,
but worldly sorrow brings death.”
Unless we understand how kind God is toward
us, it will be difficult to extend undeserved
kindness to others.
As the director of the Victorious Living
Prison Correspondence Outreach, I have
found that many of the inmates who write
to us have never experienced the kindness
of God through the actions of their parents.
In fact, some have never experienced it
all, from anyone. This breaks my heart.
The Bible talks a lot about kindness.
Psalm 117:2 says that God’s loving kindness
is great toward us. Psalm 36:7 tells
us it is precious; that it provides us a place
of refuge. So many see God as an angry
Being, full of wrath, eager to punish us for
the least little thing. But that is not our
heavenly Father. God longs to pour out His
kindness on both the just and the unjust.
The Bible also tells us that we, as believers,
should show God’s loving-kindness to
others—yes, even when they don’t deserve
it. Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind to one
another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
even as God in Christ forgave you.”
Unless we understand how kind God
is toward us, it will be difficult to extend
undeserved kindness to others. But once
we do, amazing things happen.
I prayed for godly sorrow to invade my
son’s heart and bring him to repentance.
God used our kindness to change our son’s
heart, to lead him to express sorrow before
God, and to take responsibility for his actions.
Our goodness toward him showed
him the goodness of God.
Every one of us has opportunity to show
God’s loving-kindness to undeserving
people, just like God does for us. Trust
in His loving-kindness. Let it change you
and help you forgive those who have been
unkind to you.
Kindness is what this world needs. This
world would be a different place if we just
tried a little kindness instead of always
demanding our own way, seeking revenge,
forcing people to do things our way, and
punishing them when they don’t.
Next time you face a difficult person or
situation, try pouring on the kindness. You
might be surprised at how your situation
changes over time. You can make a difference
in the lives of others as you treat
them the way God intends—the same way
He has treated you.
LINDA
CUBBEDGE-SMITH
is Victorious Living’s
Prison Correspondence
Outreach Director. She
is passionate about the
Lord and leading others
to Him.
VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM
Issue 01 / 2020
11