K is for Kindness! Kindness is a friendly, good-natured, harmonious attitude toward others. The Bible tells us to be kind to both our friends and our enemies. Jesus taught us by His example to be kind to others. Kindness can be difficult. Kindness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit living in us. Galatians 5:22-23 says "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (ESV). When we are tempted to pay someone back for their unkindness to us, we need to remember that it is not our job to repay someone for his or her actions--it's God's. We need to focus on instructions. We read in Proverbs 20:22: “Do not say, 'I'll pay you back for this wrong!' Wait for the Lord, and He will deliver you.” Colossians 3:12 says “Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”
Albert Schweitzer is quoted as saying “Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust, and hostility to evaporate.”If you are having trouble in relationships with friends, parents, teachers, co-workers, or others evaluate yourself to see if you are showing kindness in your actions and words. Ephesians 4:32 says "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." What if Christ treated you with the same kindness and forgiveness as you treated others?
Prayer starter: Dear Lord, please help me to show more kindness to others. I know I don’t always act in a way that is pleasing to you. Help me to learn to be and act more like You. I love You. I am thankful for the kindness and forgiveness you so often give me. Amen.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to work on your kindness today. Treat others the way Christ would want you to.
No comments:
Post a Comment