“Yet he has not left himself without testimony: he has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”
Here is a paradoxical question: might God be making things harder for us so that we better appreciate his kindness?
I think of lots of things I have taken for granted: instant, free health care; affordable food; railway travel; the post arriving every day; peace in Europe; being able to heat our homes; meeting indoors; singing in church; going to a movie or watching sport; being comfortable in the heat of the summer… the list goes on.
All of these have, of course, been threatened, reduced or removed at some point in the past couple of years. I have come to realise just how many things I’ve taken for granted, or failed to show gratitude to God for.
But thanks should be in order. Even though many of these things come through the agency of people, it is God Himself who stands behind them. He sustains us, day by day, and gives us every good gift, richly to enjoy.
A right response to this is thankfulness. Sure, I give thanks when I eat, but there is so much more to be thankful for! A friend of mine gives thanks when he puts out the rubbish, because it’s a physical reminder of God’s provision for him.
So often, though, I am ungrateful, or, worse still, can regard God as a kind of cosmic utility company, to be complained to when things aren’t right. Proudly, I assume that I make my own way in the world, and forget my dependence on Him.
In this way, I lose sight of a fundamental fact about God – His kindness. It’s interesting that in the quote above, when Paul and Barnabas are introducing the real God, the God of the Bible, to a pagan audience, it is the Creator’s kindness that they draw attention to first. Once we grasp this, it will be easier for us to understand His astonishing kindness to us in the gift of His Son.
Sadly, though, it’s sometimes only when we have something taken from us that we realise how fortunate we’ve been in having it. Most of the time, God’s amazing kindness to us goes unnoticed and unthanked.
I do not minimise the challenge we face in our days – a challenge which requires us all to show practical kindness to others. But perhaps these tougher times are also a reminder of the many ways in which our Creator has shown us undeserved kindness, in ways we have taken for granted. May we respond with gratitude and trust!
