See, You are Well!

Genuine kindness is the third leg of Asbury’s staff core behaviors. Since Jesus called all His followers to serve, we think these core behaviors transcend employment. Asbury’s membership vows state: “I will be loyal to Jesus Christ expressed through Asbury and will uphold it by my prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness.” “Genuine” means “honest, open, sincere, unpretentious, real, authentic, true, valid and legitimate.” It is the opposite of fake, false and deceptive. “Genuine” is what Jesus spotted in Nathanael: “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” (John 1:47) Paul Coughlin’s book, “No More Christian Nice Guy,” has an interesting subtitle: “When Being Nice – Instead of Good – Hurts Men, Women and Children.” In reading the Gospel of John, I was struck by how often Jesus asked hard questions. He wasn’t always “nice.” He didn’t pat people on the head and say, “Stay the way you are, and you’ll go far.” Jesus was honest. He asked uncomfortable and awkward questions that put people on the spot. He was bold. He confronted. He was direct. He asked people to make decisions. “Nice” people tend to be pleasers. Nice people enable. “Kind” people don’t avoid conflict or skirt controversy. Being kind means being thoughtful, generous, considerate, concerned, sensitive and affectionate. Kindness cares about the well-being of the other person. Kindness cares enough to listen, to be interested and to pay attention. Sure, there’s a time to be nice, but there is also a time to ask the hard questions. Kindness tells the truth. The most religious people in the community were often the recipients of Jesus’ sharpest critique because their hearts were hardened to the Lord and to others (John 5:9b-17). Jesus was never mean, but love compelled Him to speak the truth to people.

- Pastor Tom Harrison