"Be ye kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." Ephesians 4:32
The word kindness comes from the Greek word "chrestotes," which is sometimes translated "gentleness". It should be the “fruit” evident in our daily lives (Galatians 5:22) because as God’s people, we should genuinely desire to help, instead of hurt. Again and again, the Old Testament uses "chrestotes" to describe God’s kindness. "Give thanks to God for He is kind, for his steadfast love lasts forever." (Psalm 106:1, 107:1, 136:1) (also see Psalm 69:16, 86:3, 100:5, 109:21). King David prayed: “Remember me, according to thy steadfast love, for Your kindness' sake, O Lord.” (Psalm 25:7) David recognized God’s kindness: "You are kind; therefore, in Your kindness teach me thy ordinances." (Psalm 119:65-68) The New Testament also speaks of God’s kindness and forbearance, and we must never forget that it is God’s KINDNESS that leads us to repentance, (Romans 2:4.) God’s kindness provides the means by which man is forgiven. The supreme demonstration of God's kindness was His willingness to give His only Son, Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:7, 4:32).
Paul wrote, "Doing nothing through faction or through vain glory, but in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself; not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others..." (Philippians 2:3-4) Wouldn't a little kindness produce such beautiful results in our world today where kindness is rarely seen, and everyone seems to simply be trying to take care of just themselves and no one else matters. God desires that the mark of His people is that we be kind. I must "put on... kindness" (Colossians 3:12) as a part of my Christian life. Paul taught the Church at Corinth that kindness is a defining characteristic of Love, (1 Corinthians 13:4) We are called to love one another as examples of God’s compassion, and I believe it is our duty to make kindness one of the attributes that we, as God’s children, possess.
I offer you this challenge today: Look for ways to show KINDNESS to at least one person a day. It could be a friend, a family member, or a complete stranger. If you will take time out each day to do something for somebody else, your life would improve tremendously. You never know how your simple gesture of kindness can impact someone’s life. Maybe they just had a fight with their husband, yelled at their kids, or received bad news and your gesture reassures them of the goodness in people. I tried this the other day while walking down the street at Disneyland. There was some trash on the ground up ahead of me, and I noticed that an older security guard was slowly making his way over to pick it up. Instead of hurrying on my way, I simply reached down, scooped it up and dropped it in the trash and smiled at him… you would have thought I had given him a $100 bill! He looked astonished and then smiled and thanked me. Yes, it was part of his job to pick up trash: no, it wasn’t my trash in the first place; no, I didn’t HAVE to pick up that trash because someone else had been so rude to drop it; … it didn’t cost me anything other than 2 seconds of my time to show kindness to a stranger, and I walked away more blessed as I considered the importance of our kind acts to others in our daily lives. These simple acts do not have to cost you anything financially but the return from them can and will be profitable to your quality of life. Do something KIND just for the sake of being kind and showing God’s love. You will be amazed at the results! Here are some examples:
· say Hello to someone as you pass them on the street or in the store
· Hold open a door
· Offer to carry groceries for an older person
· Ask a cashier how his/her day is going
· Pick up trash on the ground (even when its not yours)
· Let someone cut in front of you in line
· Send an uplifting email or card
· Do an unpleasant task for someone
· Let a car in front of you in traffic
· Buy someone lunch or a coke
· Pay for the person behind you at the toll road
· Cook a meal for someone or invite them to your home for dinner
The list given is truly not inclusive, just a start showing you the possibilities of small kindness. Maybe you are too shy to try any of these, so how about this: Simply Smile! Purpose when you wake up that you will find at least one way to show kindness, for no apparent reason or personal gain other than to just be kind. Follow your heart. If you listen it will tell you what to do and who for. Everyone we pass in the run of a day is going through something. You never know how your act of kindness can change the day. Remember the saying... little things mean a lot. Be that someone to make a difference in the lives of the people you touch everyday. It may open a door to sharing your faith, for giving the reason for the HOPE that lies within you. Kindness is a way to bless others, so let us start sharing the blessings!!!
Shalom, Sister Lahoma
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