Kindly Affectioned
“Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;” Romans 12:10-11
All I had was a question. Okay, that wasn’t entirely true. I had my usual zillion questions. Typical of me when I am researching something I might at some time purchase – particularly something expensive. And given my ministry budget, not to mention my extreme diligence in and passionate pursuit of maximizing my service to the Lord while minimizing expenditures, I did in fact – and of course – have my usual countless questions for the man on the other end of the telephone. Only this situation was a bit unusual, and so was the man – in my estimate anyway.
I knew right from the start I wouldn’t purchase anything from him. So did he. Not only did I make that clear from the start of my call, but he and I had been through this the last time I had called some time ago. For he knew his company’s prices, coupled with shipping challenges and costs because of my distance from his business, would make a purchase unwise. So what was unusual about him? Plain and simple. Kindness.
The King James version, whose language can seem archaic at times to the modern ear and eye, uses the expression “kindly affectioned.” God calls us to be “kindly affectioned one to another,” “not slothful in business,” and to “serve the Lord.” But as the world draws to a close as described in the Bible, times are increasingly dark and kindness, diligence in business, and service to the Lord are not so common a commodity. But here was a man who spent tons of time on the phone trying to help me find an answer knowing he would never make a penny from me. The end of the call made it clear. When I said, “God bless you,” so often met with silence when I say it, he joyfully replied, “God bless you!” His kindness was not about himself nor anything he would garner. He was kindly affectioned in service to the Lord!
In service to the Lord, be kindly affectioned to others!