God's Embrace
by Dr. Gary Chapman
I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them.
—Hosea 11:4
Child psychologists tell us that when a child is secure in her parents' love, she is more eager to interact with others and develop her own relationships. She knows that she can always return to the loving embrace of her mother or father.
God longs for us to trust his love the way a child trusts the love of a parent. Kindness is a part of God's love—demonstrated in his tender care. In fact, God's kindness is often translated as "steadfast love" in the Hebrew Bible. No matter the circumstances, difficulties, or fears of life, God's loving-kindness is constant.
Because of the security we have in that love, we are free to be kind to others. We care for others from the center of God's care for us. The beautiful reality is that God gives us many opportunities to be kind, and he gives us great joy when we are kind. The pleasure we know in caring for others is just a shadow of the delight he takes in caring for us.
Thought
When has God's kindness motivated you to be kind to someone else?
Dr. Gary Chapman is the beloved best-selling author of The Five Love Languages and Love as a Way of Life.
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