Latest / Men's Morning Devotional / Strong Enough to Be Kind

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Strong Enough to Be Kind · Men's Morning Devotional

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_01: Gentlemen, every day is a battle.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_01: A battle for your faith, your family, and your purple.
• 0:08
  SPEAKER_01: The men who stand strong don't prepare when the battle arrives.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_01: They prepare before it begins.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the men's morning devotional.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_01: Let's get into God's word.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_01: It's time to man up.
• 0:26
  Steve Alessi: Good morning, gentlemen.
• 0:28
  Steve Alessi: I'm Steve Alesi, and it's time for another man up moment.
• 0:31
  Steve Alessi: This week we're looking through the book of wisdom in Proverbs, and today's devotional is about a man who is challenged to be kind.
• 0:40
  Steve Alessi: Let me ask you something.
• 0:42
  Steve Alessi: What is it in a man that when he gets cut off in traffic causes him to just lose it?
• 0:48
  Steve Alessi: I'm telling you, it's gotten so bad with guys that we've even given it a name.
• 0:52
  Steve Alessi: Road rage.
• 0:54
  Steve Alessi: Think about it.
• 0:55
  Steve Alessi: A guy puts on his turn signal and tries to merge into our lane and suddenly something rises up inside of us.
• 1:01
  Steve Alessi: Oh no, you don't, man.
• 1:02
  Steve Alessi: You're not getting in front of me.
• 1:04
  Steve Alessi: It's as though we own the road, or at least the lane that we're in, and it's our responsibility to protect it.
• 1:11
  Steve Alessi: And for what?
• 1:12
  Steve Alessi: So we can arrive at the next red light three seconds before he does?
• 1:16
  Steve Alessi: Why can't we simply be kind enough to back off, let the person merge over, and continue on our way?
• 1:23
  Steve Alessi: Because sometimes the problem isn't the other driver.
• 1:27
  Steve Alessi: The problem is what their actions bring out in us.
• 1:31
  Steve Alessi: And that's what today's Proverbs speaks about.
• 1:34
  Steve Alessi: Proverbs 11, 17 says, a kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.
• 1:42
  Steve Alessi: Think about that.
• 1:44
  Steve Alessi: Kindness doesn't just benefit the person receiving it, it benefits the man giving it.
• 1:50
  Steve Alessi: There are certain men people naturally want to be around.
• 1:54
  Steve Alessi: They may not be the funniest, richest, smartest, or most successful guy in the room, but there's something about them that makes people feel comfortable.
• 2:03
  Steve Alessi: Often it's simply kindness.
• 2:06
  Steve Alessi: A kind man knows how to treat people.
• 2:08
  Steve Alessi: He looks people in the eye when he's talking to them.
• 2:11
  Steve Alessi: He says thank you when someone assists him.
• 2:14
  Steve Alessi: He listens instead of constantly interrupting.
• 2:17
  Steve Alessi: He treats the waiter with respect.
• 2:19
  Steve Alessi: He'll speak to his wife with honor.
• 2:22
  Steve Alessi: He's patient with his children and encouraging to the people working for him.
• 2:26
  Steve Alessi: He doesn't have to make someone else feel small in order for him to feel big.
• 2:32
  Steve Alessi: And here's what happens: people are drawn to him.
• 2:36
  Steve Alessi: Kindness will create influence because kindness creates connection.
• 2:42
  Steve Alessi: The second half of that verse says, a cruel man brings trouble on himself.
• 2:48
  Steve Alessi: Some of the trouble we experience with people isn't because they don't like us.
• 2:52
  Steve Alessi: It may be because they don't like how we treat them.
• 2:56
  Steve Alessi: Being rude eventually creates distance.
• 3:00
  Steve Alessi: People stop talking to you.
• 3:02
  Steve Alessi: Your wife and kids become guarded around you.
• 3:05
  Steve Alessi: Employees stop bringing you ideas.
• 3:08
  Steve Alessi: Friends stop calling you.
• 3:10
  Steve Alessi: And then we wonder, what's wrong with everybody?
• 3:13
  Steve Alessi: Maybe everybody isn't the problem.
• 3:15
  Steve Alessi: As men, we need enough humility to occasionally ask, what is it like to be on the other side of me?
• 3:23
  Steve Alessi: Big question, man.
• 3:25
  Steve Alessi: It's a powerful question.
• 3:26
  Steve Alessi: Because you can be a good man with a bad delivery.
• 3:31
  Steve Alessi: Yes, you can be right about something and still be rude in the way that you say it.
• 3:36
  Steve Alessi: You can have good intentions and still push people away because of your tone.
• 3:40
  Steve Alessi: There's a difference between being strong and being harsh.
• 3:45
  Steve Alessi: There's a difference between being direct and being disrespectful.
• 3:49
  Steve Alessi: Some men associate kindness with weakness, but nothing could be further from the truth.
• 3:56
  Steve Alessi: Jesus, he was incredibly kind, but no one would call Jesus weak.
• 4:01
  Steve Alessi: Jesus could confront hypocrisy, turn over tables, but he could also stop for children, touch a leper, defend the rejected, and show compassion to people that were hurting.
• 4:12
  Steve Alessi: Real strength knows when to be tough and when to be tender.
• 4:16
  Steve Alessi: How anybody can lose their temper.
• 4:19
  Steve Alessi: Anybody can just snap back and anybody can embarrass another person, but it takes a strong man to control his attitude, his words, and his reactions.
• 4:29
  Steve Alessi: Sometimes the strongest thing you can do is lower your voice or say I was wrong, or even say thank you.
• 4:36
  Steve Alessi: And sometimes it's simply choosing to treat somebody better than they treated you.
• 4:41
  Steve Alessi: Man, never underestimate what your kindness communicates because a lot of people are watching you.
• 4:48
  Steve Alessi: And as a follower of Christ, people are forming an opinion about the God you serve partly by watching the way you treat people.
• 4:58
  Steve Alessi: So today, don't just be a good man, be a kind man, because kindness opens the doors that rudeness closes.
• 5:08
  Steve Alessi: So here's your man-up challenge for today.
• 5:10
  Steve Alessi: You ready?
• 5:11
  Steve Alessi: Be strong enough to be kind.
• 5:15
  Steve Alessi: Today, intentionally show kindness to three people.
• 5:19
  Steve Alessi: One person in your family, one person you work with, and one person who can do absolutely nothing for you.
• 5:27
  Steve Alessi: And throughout the day, ask yourself Are people experiencing the kindness of Christ when they experience me?
• 5:35
  Steve Alessi: Gentlemen, man up and be strong enough to be kind.
• 5:39
  Steve Alessi: Let's pray.
• 5:40
  Steve Alessi: Father, thank you for showing us kindness and mercy every day.
• 5:45
  Steve Alessi: But help us today to be men whose strength is seen, not only in what we accomplish, but in how we treat people.
• 5:53
  Steve Alessi: So guard our mouths, our attitudes, and our reactions.
• 5:56
  Steve Alessi: Help us to be firm without being harsh and direct without being disrespectful.
• 6:02
  Steve Alessi: Let our wives, our children, and our co-workers, our friends, and even strangers experience your kindness through us today.
• 6:11
  Steve Alessi: Make us strong enough to be kind.
• 6:13
  Steve Alessi: In Jesus' name.
• 6:15
  Steve Alessi: Amen.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_01: All right, gentlemen, you've heard God's word.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_01: Now go live it.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_01: Lead well, stand strong, honor God in everything you do.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_01: Share this devotional with another brother.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_01: Remember, every day is another opportunity to man up.