STRENGTH and LOVING KINDNESS
She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. (Proverbs 31:26)
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. (Luke 6:35)
In these two passages, we are introduced to Yahveh’s principal ethical doctrine – Love. Kindness is based in Love. Wisdom is based in Love. Everything which is good in Yahveh’s eyes is based in Love. Why aren’t we?
Every day, I read of hate and desolation caused by human greed (power, wealth) and the desire to control others around us. It doesn’t matter what newspaper I read or news feed I scan; they all contain the same story – man’s insatiable greed.
What is it about humankind, which drives us to gain as much as we can? What is lacking within us? The answer to these questions may be found in our innate desire for authentic relationships, characterized by strength and loving kindness.
As any psychologist will tell you, our strongest desires are those which touch our basic needs – safety and security, love and affection and affiliation. If these three basic needs are not met, we will seek other ways to gain a sense of competence and recognition, even if they hurt others.
If you ask gang members why they have joined the group, they will tell you they are family; they look after you; they support you. In other words, they meet our three basic needs. But there is always a cost.
Very few gang members live beyond 25 and those that do are usually in jail or prison. The few who manage to continue surviving in their gangs, are constantly on guard. There are others around waiting to take their positions, often with violent intent.
Adonai Yeshua, the Lord Jesus, has given us a way to receive unconditional love from those who believe as He does. Read Luke 6:31-36. In these verses, you will come to a clear understanding of this special love, which transcends anything offered by human beings. Let’s examine a few of these:
- Treat other people as you would like them to treat you. (Luke 6:31) How are you being treated by others around you? Do you have those with you, who love you unconditionally? Or are you being treated like a commodity, required to give but not receive?
- love your enemies. (Luke 6:35) Is your heart filled with anger and hate towards those who have done you wrong? Are you aware, these feelings affect you more than they do others? Are you aware, these feelings may lead to serious illnesses, such as cancer? When you forgive others, you are removing these negative feelings; when you love your enemies, you will confuse and bewilder them.
- do good. (Luke 6:35) When we do good for others, those less fortunate than ourselves, we receive very positive feelings. This is Yahveh’s way of showing His love to us.
- lend expecting nothing back. (Luke 6:35) These days we exist in reciprocal relationships. When we give something to others, we expect things back; when we lend money, tools, etc. to others, we expect to receive these back. Why would we not? However, when we give of our time, our efforts and our finances, to those who need them more than do we, do we give them freely, without expecting the same in return? How might this change our perspective of giving?
Beloved, it is important to realize our role in Yahveh’s economy – give to those who need help; assist those who require assistance; do good for He is good and loving.
May the God of Avraham, Isaac and Jacob bless you richly.
https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=A+Journey+Through+Torah+%3A+An+Inroduction&ref=nb_sb_noss