Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Proverbs 3:3
I recently read this verse during my morning devotions. It was only about 5 minutes later that I snapped at one of my daughters for something silly (probably for interrupting my morning devotions….). The importance of Binding kindness and truth around your neck became readily apparent. Have you ever bound something around your neck? How about something heavy. Kindness and truth are not lightweights. They have an heavy impact on everything we do. How about writing them on the tablet of your heart? The picture here is not the easy process that I am using now (typing quietly into my laptop, with the delete button just a fingers width away). It is not even pen or pencil on paper. The picture here is a clay or stone tablet (sorry not an Ipad or Android) inscribed by a stylus or sharp instrument. Once written it could only be removed with considerable effort. The deeper the inscription, the more permanent the message.
The picture is not complete without consideration of the physical impacts. I do not think that the writer wanted to shortchange the difficulty or even outright pain of righteous living. It is neither comfortable nor enjoyable for things to be cut into our hearts. Consider our modern culture. TV shows, movies, books; they all extol the virtues of the free heart. Our clothing is loose and light, even high quality body armor is extolled for its lightness and the fact that it does not inhibit the movements of the wearer. We do not want to be restricted. Here is a truth from this passage: Kindness and truth are restrictive. They set limits on our behavior both internally and externally. Our human nature chafes at these limitations. We want to redefine them in a way that maintains our perceived freedoms. Kindness becomes a touchy feely thing we do from time to time when the circumstances are right. Truth becomes a function of what is working well for us for the moment crossed with what is currently most inoffensive to all of those around us. They cease to be bound around our necks nor etched forever on the tablets of our hearts. Instead we wear kindness like a fancy necklace and truth is penciled in, with an eraser close by.
Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart…. not as easy as it sounds.
Fan Into Flame Ministries 