Six Traits You Want In Your Life - 2. Kindness Based In Truth - Proverbs 3:3-4 - Quick Observations
Quick links to the passage: KJV NKJV NASB NIV
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As you read these verses, I know what you are thinking, “There are two traits here.” And you would be correct. But there is a method in my madness. There is a reason why I am combining these into one trait and it is not because I want it to fit into a nice pattern with the rest of the sections of the six traits. Kindness (or mercy in NKJV) on its own is great. We should be kind toward others. And truth on its own is great also. Our lives should be characterized by truth.
But kindness on its own at some point will be naive or ignorant. And truth on its own at some point will be harsh. So how do we regulate the ignorance of kindness? Combine it with truth. How do we soften the hard facts of truth? Combine it with kindness. When done properly, kindness will not lose its softness and truth will not be reduced to mediocrity.
Solomon warns us not to lose kindness and truth in verse 3. So how do we do that?
Solomon tells us to bind them to our neck and write them on our heart. Notice there are two things to do here. First the outward aspect. We are to bind mercy and truth around our neck. A couple of thoughts here. We do this in order not to lose kindness and truth. It reminds me of a soldier wearing his “dogtags” No matter what that soldier does or what happens to him, he still has his dogtags on. He does not lose them. Kindness and truth should be the same way. No matter what we do or what happens to us, we should not lose them because they are bound on our neck. Also, when a woman dresses up for something formal and wears a necklace, it is one of the first things you notice. So should kindness and truth should be for us, one of the first things people notice about us.
Second it tells us to write them on our hearts, which is the inward aspect. We are to have kindness and truth engraved on the very innermost of who we are. If the core of who we are is characterized by kindness and truth, then we cannot help ourselves but to live like it also. If our life is based on kindness and truth, then we will not lose them.
So if we do not lose kindness and truth by binding them around our neck and writing them on our heart, then we will find two things in our life. First is favor. This is also known as graciousness or kindness. This word favor is based from the same word that kindness in verse 3 is based on. As the saying goes, you show kindness to others and it will be shown back to you. Second is good repute. Literally it means that people will have a good understanding or thoughts of you. They will have a good opinion of you.
Notice where the kindness and good opinions come from. They will come from God and other people, not ourselves. With that said, our goal to show kindness, that is based on truth, should not be to receive kindness and a good opinion in return. That is self-serving. It should be a natural consequence. We should show kindness, that is based on truth, irregardless of what the actual results end up because it is the right thing to do.
