LISTEN ONLINETwo friends were shopping for a laptop in an electronics store when they ran into a famous athlete. Aware that this sporting legend had recently suffered the loss of his sister and a former teammate, they empathetically offered their condolences. After the two men returned to their shopping, the athlete approached them and told them to pick out the nicest laptop they could find. He then bought it for them, simply because they saw him as a person going through a difficult time and was moved by their kindness.
Millennia before that encounter, Solomon wrote, “Those who are kind benefit themselves” (Proverbs 11:17). When we consider others’ needs and do what we can to help and encourage them, we’re rewarded ourselves. It may not be with a laptop or material things, but God has ways of blessing us that this world can’t measure. As Solomon explained just one verse earlier in the same chapter, “A kind-hearted woman gains honour, but ruthless men gain only wealth” (v. 16). There are gifts from God that are worth far more than money, and He measures them generously in His perfect wisdom and way.
Kindness and generosity are part of God’s character, and He loves to see them expressed in our own hearts and lives. Solomon summed up the matter well: “Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (v. 25).