Be Kind To The Lion
A Sunday school teacher, in presenting a lesson on faithfulness to God, showed her class a picture of early Christians being faithful to God even while being thrown to the lions. However, she noticed that a small boy in class was disturbed about the picture, and when she asked the reason, he pointed to a corner of the picture and said, "That poor lion didn't get any Christian!"
Extreme kindness! Too extreme! He was a little too kind and showed his kindness in the wrong direction. After all, early Christians were not really concerned with a daily feeding plain for the lions. I just wonder if sometimes we do not get too concerned with being kind to the lion.
Someone wants us to soft-peddle the truth without stepping on toes - leave the religious world alone and do not touch on the doctrinal errors which divide the world; let men teach their error and lead the multitudes astray. Be kind to the lion and let souls be destroyed.
Another begins to sow seeds of discord which divide the brethren. Because we are afraid of being unkind to the sower, we allow it. We are kind to the lion and a church is split.
Still another maliciously gossips about and defames his brother. Again, we do nothing for fear of hurting the "lion" and a reputation is ruined.
And so on.
It is important to be "kind one to another" - vastly important. However, it is also important to be vigilant, and to "reprove, rebuke, exhort," and correct error. Let us be kind - but NOT TO THE LION. Preach the Word, with all its force and power. Exercise discipline bringing to the knees the unruly. Hold Christ up, and let the lions of the world be devoured.
From our archives
via "The Way of Truth"