"Strong But Not Hard" by Kirk Hunt

A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

Proverbs 12:10 KJV

The hard and uncaring approach to life is not a righteous one. Christian men and women may not be able to coddle everyone or everything, but there is a lifestyle of treating everyone and everything with as much grace as possible. There's no good reason for harsh and heartless.

There's a lot of difference between strong and hard. In fact, much of the time, hardness is a façade that tries to cover up weakness. Real strength delivers comfort and blessing.

Make no mistake, sometimes Christian men and women must take uncompromising stands. We sometimes choose to be unmoved and refuse every force that comes against us. That takes strength, but isn't hard or uncaring.

Compassion can only be effective when there are the strength and resources to make a change. Grace can only flow through the had of a servant who seeks to bless. Real reformers always offer an alternative, not condemnation.

Even a beast of burden deserves simple consideration. The ability to show compassion and mercy to the living souls around us stems from God-given strength. How strong are you?

Think: God gives us strength, not hardness.

Pray: “Lord, give me Your strength.”

Copyright © June 2009, Kirk Hunt