What kind of world do you live in?

"What is desired in a man is kindness" (Proverbs 19:22).

Kind people live in a kind world and mean people live in a mean world! What kind of world do you live in? Most people create their own worlds; in fact most people will respond to you the way you treat them. Most will be a mirror image of the way you treat them.

Several years ago Jan and I had flown into the USA for a series of meetings. We arrived late at night and I was to rent a car and drive several hours to the city where we were to minister the next day. As I approached the desk of the hire car firm I heard the young lady attendant say "I'm sorry but we are out of cars and it will be several hours before we have any available!" Great, I thought. It was already past midnight and I still had a two-hour drive to make and now there were no cars available.

As I was struggling to hold back from voicing my frustration to this young lady, a very rude and arrogant man stepped in front of me and began to unleash one of the strongest verbal tirades I have ever heard. I mean this man had studied the subject of rude and had passed with flying colours. I watched the young lady wilt under this verbal assault. Her lip began to tremble and I thought she was about to cry. By the time it was my turn to speak, the rude man had said it all. What could I add? About that time the Lord spoke to me and said, "Why not show a little kindness. This girl doesn't need anymore criticism". And so I stepped forward and was as nice to the young lady as I could be. ?That was the rudest man I have ever met", she said. "You wouldn't believe how rude he was. It's not my fault that there is a problem with the cars. I?m just doing my job," she said.

"Well if it's any consolation," I said. "I thought you handled a very difficult and ugly situation really well." I was nice to the lady; I was kind, even though in the natural I was irked over the delay too. I went and sat down next to Jan to wait until a car was available. After about 15 minutes a white Cadillac pulled up out front. The young attendant jumped out, raced in and dropped the keys to the vehicle onto the girl's desk. "This car's ready!" he said.

Now the young lady could give this car to any of the 8-10 people seated waiting, anyone she wanted to! Jan and I had only ordered a medium sized car. Without hesitation the young lady picked up the keys, walked straight passed Mr. Rude and dropped the keys in my lap."There's the keys to your car Mr. Stringer!" she said. And then turned in the direction of Mr. Rude and said (as loudly as she could). "It pays to be nice to people!"

We were the first to leave and we left driving a beautiful white Cadillac (which I had not paid for). I believe that Mr. Rude would have been the last to leave and when he did he was probably driving a Gogomobile! It's interesting that this young lady treated us so differently She reacted and treated us both in the same manner we had treated her.

Some time back I was thinking that if there was a song that best summed up my life what would it be? "I've lost that loving feeling!" Or the words of that Glen Campbell hit, "try a little kindness and overlook the blindness of the narrow minded people, in the narrow minded streets." Look at these words of wisdom: "If you are kind to these people, and please them, and speak kind words to them, they will be your servants forever." (2 Chronicles 10: 7). In this passage of Scripture we find where Solomon - the wisest man who had ever lived - son Rehoboam was about to take become king. Gathering the wise men, he enquired as to how he could best serve his people: "King Rehoboam consulted the elders ... saying, "How do you advise me to answer these people?" And they spoke to him, "If you are kind to these people ... and speak good words to them, they will be your servants forever." (2 Chron.10: 7).

Imagine a business where the customers were loyal, or a church where members stayed committed! A marriage where the partners remained faithful Is such a thing possible? It is if one believes the Bible. And the key? Kindness! Could this be the reason that some churches never grow, why some businesses fail, why some marriages end in divorce? This Bible passage is worth is priceless. It's a principal for for loyalty, be it in business, church or marriage. Kindness - a small word but a powerful force! Kind people live in a kind world, mean people live in a mean world. What sort of world do you live in?

  Col and Jan Stringer