Watchman Nee tells about a Chinese Christian who owned a rice paddy next to one owned by a communist man. The Christian irrigated his paddy by pumping water out of a canal, using a leg-operated pump that made him look like he was seated on a bicycle. Every day, after the Christian had pumped enough water to fill his field, the communist would come out, remove some boards that kept the water in the Christian’s field and let all the water flow down into his own field. That way, he didn’t have to pump.
This continued day after day. Finally, the Christian prayed, “Lord, if this keeps up, I’m going to lose all my rice, maybe even my field. I’ve got family to care for. What can I do?”
In answer to his request, the Lord put a thought in his mind. So, the next morning he arose much earlier, in the predawn hours of darkness, and started pumping water into the field of his communist neighbor. Then he replaced the boards and pumped water into his own rice paddy. In a few weeks both the fields were doing well – and the communist was converted.
This would be an example of loving your enemies. How many of us could say that we would be able to handle this situation with such a humble spirit? It is difficult sometimes to know what the right thing is. The key is to ask for the Lord’s guidance. He will always lead us down the righteous path, even if it is a path that we don’t want to go down. For example doing the work of two and getting paid for the work of one. Watering the neighbor’s field isn’t the path that I would chose but it was the right path because it showed love, kindness and humility to another human being which caused him to be converted. God’s love shined through bringing Him glory.
Kindness like everything else is a choice. We chose to be kind; we chose to be honest, humble, tolerant, obedient etc… It is the Holy Spirit that resides in each Christian that makes those choices easier to make. To be Christ like is our goal and should be reflected in everything we do, say and think.
SCRIPTURES
The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground. Psalm 147:6
"You give me your shield, which is salvation, your right hand holds me up, your humility makes me great. Psalm 18:35
When pride comes, then comes shame, But with humility comes wisdom. The integrity of the upright shall guide them, But the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy them. Riches don't profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death. Proverbs 11:2-4
make my joy full, that you be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself; Philippians 2:2-3
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with feelings of compassion and with kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12
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