Take a Little Honey with You

A. There was a famine in the land of Canaan – but there was food in Egypt.

1. Jacob told his sons to go to Egypt and buy food.

2. Jacob instructed them to take gifts with them (on the 2nd trip)

3. One of these gifts was honey (Gen. 43:11).

B. Honey was used as a medium of exchange.

1. It has been called the perfect food.

2. It has medicinal value as well as nutritional value.

3. It was good for healing arteries and muscles in the heart.

4. There is another kind of honey:

a. It must also go to the heart to heal.

b. It cannot help us if it doesn’t go to the heart.

C. This honey is kindness.

1. Honey – its sweet, healing, soothing, strengthening, and gentle.

2. Kindness is like that.

3. It is needed in every relationship of life.

D. Psalm 31:21: “Blessed be the Lord; for he hath showed me his marvelous kindness.”

Psalm 117:2: “For his merciful kindness is great toward us.”

1. It is marvelous.

2. It is merciful.

3. It is great.

E. Kindness is a part of the Christian’s attire:

1. Colossians 3:12: “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind…”

2. Romans 12:10: “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love…”

Where are we to take this honey?

1. Into our homes:

A. Home – most important part of civilization.

1. If the home goes, civilization will go with it.

2. Homes are wrecked because of unkindness.

3. Some children never know kindness in the home.

B. Many fathers and mothers are too busy.

1. Creates a deficiency in the home.

2. Any father too busy to pay some attention to his children is too busy to be a father.

3. Many mothers are too busy to notice the children they brought into this world!

C. Husbands and wives:

1. Many times unkindness is prevalent in the home.

2. Take everything out on each other.

3. Fuss and fight in front of the children.

4. Eph. 5:25: “Husbands love your wives…. as Christ….”

5. Division, misunderstandings, and contempt cannot breed where kindness lives.

D. Give roses while loved ones are alive.

1. When was the last time you gave a token of love?

2. Many wait until a loved one is gone before giving.

3. Kindness sometimes comes too late.

4. If I’m not worthy of kindness now, I should not expect it at my funeral.

2. Into all the religious relationships of life:

A. Show kindness in trying to win others to Christ.

1. Must not compromise truth.

2. Eph. 4:15 – “…speaking the truth in love”

3. Need to have the right attitude.

B. Reason for failure to win others to Christ:

1. Treat them as boxcars at a switch track.

a. Boxcars are made to be banged together – souls are not.

b. Souls are fragile – must be handled with care!

2. A broken soul may never be restored.

C. How do we talk when telling someone about Christ?

1. What tone of voice?

2. Dog – runs at harsh voice – wags tail at friendly voice.

3. Many Christians have a wrong attitude.

4. Kindness hurts no one!

3. When we deal with each other as brethren:

A. Joseph’s brothers treated him cruelly.

1. Sold him.

2. He forgave them. Gen. 50:21: “Fear not; I will nourish you and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spoke kindly with them.”

3. Attitude of some – “Now I’ll get even with you.”

4. Joseph showed kindness to his brethren.

B. How we should watch our words!

1. Words – can heal or destroy. Proverbs 18:21: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”

2. Easy to say or write evil about someone.

3. Tract: “An Old Fox Tarred and Feathered”

a. John Wesley – object of ridicule

b. Augustus Toplady –  wrote the tract in a moment of weakness and anger.

c. Toplady then wrote “Rock of Ages.”

4. Can write or say things and regret it the rest of the life.

5. Cannot recall words:

a. Feathers scattered in the wind.

b. May regret – cannot recall. Song: “Angry Words”

6. Takes many words to win friends – few to lose them.

7. Take some honey with you, brethren!

4. In every day business:

A. Some say – “It won’t work in my case.”

1. Must be tougher than the next fellow.

2. Say it works with children and women – not on the job.

B. Kindness will work anywhere.

1. With all people.

2. Reason it doesn’t work – It is not given a chance.

Conclusion:

A. It isn’t sissy weak to be kind:

1. Eph. 4:32 – “Be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.”

2. It shows loves and concern for others.

B. Kindness:

1. Pays tremendous dividends.

2. Opens gates of opportunity and wins friends.

C. On this journey through life, don’t forget to take a little honey with you.

“I have wept in the night, from the shortness of sight,

That to the needs of others made me blind –

But I never have yet, had a case to regret,

For being a little too kind.” – Anonymous

A sermon preached by Wayne E. Holland at:

Williston, FL (12/25/1977)

Kissimmee, FL (5/21/1978)

Bayou La Batre, AL (09/17/1978)

Hayesville, NC (04/11/1982)

Roxboro, NC (07/08/1990)