The Lord's Servant Must Be Kind To Everyone
The easily forgotten commandment.
Kind, gentle people tend to get run over in this world - and yet, that’s precisely the kind of people the Lord’s servants are called to be.
And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:24-26)
Being kind and not quarrelsome includes being able to teach the truth. Paul told Timothy just a few verses later to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2). These commands go hand-in-hand with each other.
Sometimes the Lord’s servant will be mistreated for Christ’s sake (Matthew 5:11-12). We must extend kindness even to those who mistreat us (Matthew 5:43-48).
Even those who are opponents - we are to correct them (the idea of discipline) with gentleness. When we teach someone who has fallen victim to error, we must be gentle in the hopes that they will repent and “come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil.”
It’s easy to lash out in anger toward someone we disagree with or someone who is wrong. It’s easy to respond harshly toward those who have mistreated us.
But Jesus calls us as His servants to do that which is difficult - to travel the challenging path (Matthew 7:13-14). Jesus calls us by His Word to be like Him - a humble servant (Philippians 2:5-8).
Will we stand for the truth - for our Lord - in a gentle, kind way? Or will we act just like everyone else in this world?