“So, Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” ~ II Kings 4:1
REFERENCE:
Imagine with me the extremities the prophet’s widow has been plunged into by the so much debt her husband left her with. Things got so bad that she was left with just a bottle of oil in her house, and her sons were about to be taken as payment for her ‘inherited’ debt. How were they feeding or surviving? This question boggles my mind, but thank God for a prophet’s kindness.
This widow had neighbors, and her husband had colleagues who served on the field with him and were his coursemates in the school of prophets, but she was abandoned and left to face life and the creditor alone. Are there people around you who need kindness, people you should be a good neighbor to but have neglected, abandoned, and ignored? They badly need you.
Upon becoming aware of the widow’s situation, Prophet Elisha moved with compassion and did something to alleviate her situation. He inquired about what she (food) had in the house and how he could help her. At the end of this account, the woman was free from debt, paid her bills, and had an income-generating business. Thanks to a prophet’s kindness.
The best gift we can give to people going through difficult times is kindness. Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Elisha made time out of his itinerary to extend love and compassion to a needy woman. The world would be a better place if only the people of the world were kinder. Life often presents us with opportunities to be kind, but we get too preoccupied with our many needs that we find it difficult to accommodate another person.
Kindness does not have to be monetary; it is a warm smile, goodwill, a visit, a word of hope, a deep concern expressed, a prayer, or a call to inquire about a friend’s state. A simple act of kindness often weighs more than many acts of religion – praying and fasting, yet you care not about a brother who has a need. Kindness begins in the heart, empathizing and caring, and is ready to bear another’s burden in prayer before God. That is genuine kindness.
PHOTO QUOTE
ADDITIONAL TEXTS:
Isaiah 58:6-7, Proverbs 19:22, and I John 3:17-18
TO DO:
Is there someone around you that you owe kindness to? Someone, the Holy Spirit, has impressed upon your heart to reach out to, call, send a gift, cook a meal for, or help with a part of their child’s school fees. Well, why don’t you reach out to them? God will reward your kindness.
