Checed
By Lexi Cole
“Examine me, O Lord, and try me; Test my mind and my heart. For your loving-kindness is before my eyes and I have walked in Your truth.”
Psalm 26:2-3 (NASB)
My family and I were having a blast watching old home videos. At one point in the video, my much-younger sisters started bickering. Right away, my much-younger mom looked at them and said, “Girls! Loving-kindness!” We all burst into laughter because my mom always said this to us growing up and it’s something we tease her about now!
While this is certainly proof that some things never change, it got me thinking. At first glance, this phrase seems redundant. I’m not an expert in Hebrew, but loving-kindness translates to checed (hesed). It’s used 246 times in the Bible, translated to loving-kindness 183 times - - the majority being in Psalms and describing God’s loving-kindness to His people,1 with a strong connection to His unconditional covenant loyalty to them.
That being said, I still wondered: What’s the significance of the “loving” in loving-kindness? Do we really need it? As I thought about it, I realized it’s very possible to be kind without loving. Lots of times we are selfishly kind to get something we want or something in return. An employee is kind in order to get a promotion. A child is kind to avoid getting in trouble. The difference between loving-kindness and selfish-kindness is the heart attitude and motivation.
All 183 verses that refer to God as loving-kindness show God displaying His kindness over us - - not because He wants us to follow and worship Him robotically, but because He desires to have a relationship with us and gave the ultimate sacrifice to restore it. The book of Psalms talks of God’s endless and unfailing loving-kindness in times of trials. In addition, Christ is the epitome of selfless and endless kindness. He endured excruciating pain (physically and spiritually) and yet did it to restore relationship with us. He paid for sin in our place. This is ultimate checed - - unselfish kindness rooted in love.
As His followers, we’re called to do the same. Loving-kindness moves far beyond nice for our own gain to a selfless kindness even when it is really hard or undeserved. Because of this, what’s my response? What is my heart motivation in my relationships? Is my kindness rooted in love or is it selfish? Watching these home videos was a lot of fun (as is teasing my mom about her timeless “catch phrase”!), but I love that God is our checed and that we are called to display it, as well.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Thank God for His example of checed.
2. Are there relationships in which you have been kind for your own gain? What you can do to change your selfish-kindness to loving-kindness? Will you?
FURTHER READING:
Psalms 13:5-6, 17:6-7, 25:9-10
Lexi is an Elementary Education major at Bethel University. She is currently the Interim Children’s Director at Oakwood Church…and is busy planning her 2012 wedding to fiancé Andrew.
