Why God Is Kind

Melania Trump said last week that she is the most bullied person in the world. She then corrected herself to say she was one of the most bullied people in the world. I suppose the accuracy of that statement could be determined by how one defines bullying, but I believe her point wasn’t so much that she’s one of the most bullied, as it was that she isn’t being treated with kindness.

I would agree. Many hurtful comments have been made to her, about her, about her son, about her husband. Even her wardrobe. Yet, she keeps on with her mission, her calling for the next few (six?) years as FLOTUS, and with being a mom, a position she regards as highly important and worthwhile.

I feel like serving as POTUS and FLOTUS would be akin to being a professional football player. The player does all the hard work. He works out. Practices. Drills. Memorizes plays. Encourages teammates. Eats healthy. All while spectators sit around belching and eating greasy pizza on a popcorn littered couch, beer in hand, shouting at the player that he stinks because he dropped a pass.

Seems unfair to put in the hard work, yet suffer the highly opinionated shouts of the crowd.

If you can do it better, have at it! (That’s what I would be tempted to yell back if criticized in that way.) 

Stand in front of a crowd, and you’re going to get criticized. Stand up for what’s good and right, and you’ll be doubly criticized. Melania is right to speak out against bullying. She does so for our children who are (sadly) often relentlessly bullied, and in return, she gets bullied – by “adults.”

At times, it would seem kindness is a lost art. No matter where you turn, someone is unhappy, and all too willing to express that unhappiness in unhelpful, mean ways. Perhaps that is why I take to reading the Bible. It’s sharp, but also loving. The Holy Spirit, who helps me understand God’s Word is brutally honest, but at the same time, there’s never any doubt that I am loved with an everlasting love by the Creator of the universe.

Why is God so kind?

Romans 2:4 tells us:

….. God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.  

God showed us kindness by sending His Son, Jesus, to die in our place on the Cross of Calvary. Yet the human response is very often anger rather than repentance. We blame God for all the sickness in the world, while saying He should heal everyone in the here and now. Nevermind the future promise to His children that they will forever live with perfect bodies once in Heaven. We want immediate healing. We blame Him for the loss of our child, because if He’s so powerful, He could’ve saved our baby. We tell Him His restrictions on sexuality are too stringent, and we will do what we want.

We don’t repent.

That is, unless God turns our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. A change of heart cannot be conjured up by human willpower, discipline, or talent. God has to do the work of transforming hearts. I see in myself sometimes unkind thoughts and behaviors, and I’ve been a Christian for decades. It’s a slow process to becoming kind in response to God’s kindness (repentance is both initial and ongoing). But His relentless kindness keeps me coming back to Him. It makes Him approachable. His ability to be perfectly just terrifies me, and because I am not a naturally bold person, I often want to shrink away from His throne because of my sin and imperfection. But that’s the last thing He wants.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Heb. 4:16)

Some people are motivated by fear, and perhaps God’s insistence that one be spotless to get into Heaven motivates them to come to Jesus, the One who stands in their place as the Perfect Lamb. I am not that way. Fear causes me to run, not approach. But kindness? That’s a powerful motivator for me. If someone is kind to me, that person becomes magnetic. If someone strikes fear into my heart, they become a repellent and I want to flee.

God uses different methods to convert different people. The Apostle Paul was converted when he was on the road to Damascus and God sent a powerful light from Heaven. If a big, blinding bolt of lightning and the voice of God from Heaven doesn’t scare someone into believing, I suppose nothing will.

“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”, God asked after the blinding strike. And Paul’s immediate response was “Who are you, Lord?”

I often chuckle at Paul’s response. Who asks someone their identity while calling them by their name? Convicted much, Paul? Suddenly convinced there is a God after all, Paul?

In any conversion, there has to be conviction. What will we repent of if we don’t understand what it is we’re guilty of? Guilt, though, should be short lived in a Christian’s life. When we come to Christ, our guilt is so, so heavy. We are convicted of every wrong deed we’ve ever committed, and rightly so. But when we repent and ask God’s forgiveness, forgiveness is granted. We are washed clean. We are seen by God as God sees Jesus – perfect and spotless, just as if we’d never sinned.

What causes you to come boldly to His throne? If it’s the literal fear of God, great. Glad it works, and I suppose we can still be friends, haha. As for me, His kindness is what draws me to Him most frequently, readily, and passionately. I love Him because He first loved me.

In no way am I attempting to draw a line between Melania Trump and Christianity. I am not privy to the condition of her soul. But I do appreciate her kindness in the face of adversity. It’s inspiring and encouraging because it’s Christ-like, whether she means for it to be or not. Kindness makes her approachable. And being approachable because we are kind is something we could all be better at, regardless of our political or religious opinions.

**Photo by Matt Collamer on Unsplash