Kindness in the Home by G. B. THOMPSON

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 20, 1910

Kindness in the Home

By G. B. THOMPSON

G. B. THOMPSON

TRUE religion is always manifested in the home. The person who is not kind in the home is not a Christian, no matter what his pretensions may be. To be kind and grace other homes with a smile while darkening our own with frowns, scolding about this and that, is hypocrisy of the worst sort. We read recently about the boy who, hearing his mother talking in another room, said she evidently had visitors, as she was using her “company voice.” Mark Guy Pearse relates the following experience:—

“I happened to be staying with a very religious kind of man. In the morning he began the day with a long prayer that he might be kept from sin, and might have a Christlike spirit and the mind that Jesus had. A good prayer it was. I thought, You must be a very good man.

“But in about an hour I happened to be coming along the farm, and I heard him hallooing, and scolding, and finding fault with everybody and everything. When I came into the house, he began again. Nothing was right; he was impatient and quick-tempered.

“I said, ‘You must be very much disappointed, sir.’

“‘How so, Daniel — disappointed?’

“‘I thought you were expecting to receive a very valuable present this morning, sir, and I see it has not come.’

“‘Present — Daniel?’ — and he scratched his head, as much as to say, ‘Whatever can the man be talking about?’

“‘I certainly heard you talking about it, sir,’ I said, coolly.

“‘Heard me speak of a valuable present! Why, Daniel, you must be dreaming. I’ve never thought of such a thing.’

“‘Perhaps not, sir, but you’ve talked about it, and I hoped it would come while I was here, for I would love to see it.’

“He was getting angry with me now, so I thought I would explain.

“‘You know, sir, this morning you prayed for a Christlike spirit, and the love of God shed abroad in your heart.’

“‘O, that’s what you mean, is it?’ and he spoke as if that weren’t anything at all.

“‘Now, sir, wouldn’t you be rather surprised if your prayer was to be answered — if you were to feel a nice, gentle, loving kind of spirit coming down upon you, all patient and forgiving and kind?’”

What an awful spectacle it must be to the pure and holy angels to see one of the professed family of heaven, after a prayer for divine guidance, issuing impatient orders to other members of the family, scolding and fretting about things which he imagines are not as they should be. Imagine a professed Christian chasing the cow with the milk-stool as a weapon of punishment because she was restless while being milked; being unkind to the faithful horses and other domestic animals, and then telling of his hope on the Sabbath day! No wonder the angels flee from such a home, and weep in sorrow.

In heaven all will be gentle and kind in every word and action. Jesus was always kind to all. Those who are saved when he comes will be “like him.”

The time to speak kind words is while the persons are living, not around the bier at the funeral. The time to use flowers is while the persons are living, rather than in wreaths on the casket. How sad to remember, when the form is wrapped in a shroud, and the eyes are closed forever, that there are unkind, cutting words which have been spoken which can never be recalled.

The home indeed should be “a world of strife shut out, a world of love shut in.” It will be if the grace and love of God rules in our hearts.

Takoma Park, D. C.