Kindness: Pleasant and gracious servant-hood. (Eph. 4:32)
Kindness….It can be intentional, random, freely given, and awesome to receive. Kindness can make a small difference or a huge difference, though at the time it is given you may not know the impact it will have. Kindness can be given through words or gestures. Kindness can be felt, seen or heard. Kindness can be fun and kindness can be gentle. Many kindnesses cost nothing to give but “are worth far more than rubies” to receive!
I read a quote about kindness recently. It read:
Kindness is loaning your strength to others instead of reminding them of their weakness.
We make a choice to extend kindness to others,don’t we? In a circumstance where we may feel we have the right to be angry or upset, we can choose to extend kindness instead. After all, wouldn’t you want kindness extended instead to you rather than someone always pointing out your weaknesses?
Our Father does that everyday! He extends kindness/ forgiveness when we don’t deserve it. He chooses to see us as His “dearly loved children” instead of seeing us only through the lens of our sinful past.
Have you ever received kindness from your spouse/friend/family when you knew you could/should have gotten anger or judgement instead? How did it make you feel?
Kindness is a great way to reflect Christ to others.
When a situation comes up and it surely will, let’s choose to be like “The One” who is kind. Let’s teach our children, as we ourselves learn to Be “ONE” of a kind by giving away kindness instead of condemnation – offering our strength rather than drawing attention to weakness in others.
- Realize the kindness of God toward you and spend time in prayer telling your Father how thankful you are for His loving kindness. Please read Psalm 63:3-4 New King James Version (NKJV). Because Your loving kindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live;I will lift up my hands in Your name.
- Do Romans 2:4 and make a list of the ways He has shown kindness to you and those near you. Jesus went about doing good. Let’s live and love as He lives and loves in the power of the Holy Spirit! Acts 10:28
- Take some family / friend time with others to talk about the kindness of our loving Lord Jesus when He was on this earth (see the Gospels) and through your life!