Kindness is the fifth fruit of the Holy Spirit. The root of kindness is compassion and love. Jesus, the great teacher, exemplified kindness as illustrated throughout his life. Through his great love, he healed and forgave those who were shunned and cast aside.
Luke 5:12-13 (NIV)
12 While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.[a] When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” 13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.
While we don't have the same power to heal as Jesus did, a simple act of kindness is one of the greatest ways that we demonstrate our love and compassion for others, and for God. Acts of kindness come in all forms and often don't require a lot of effort, but the ripple effect from one act can be far reaching.
Today, at least for me, it seems that everything moves fast and it is easy to get so focused on what we have to accomplish that we often miss noticing someone struggling. We get fully engaged in what is important to us and don't consider what is important to others. When was the last time that you did something kind for someone? When was the last time that you put another person's needs or desires ahead of your own? A family member, a friend, co-worker, a stranger?
Did you let the person holding two items go ahead of you in line at the grocery store, when you had a cart full? Did you attend your daughters school play rather than play golf with your friends? Did you bring coffee to your husband in bed on Saturday morning? Did you give a dollar to the homeless person with their hand extended to you, despite your beliefs about or fear of that person? Did you make a meal for someone who is homebound? Did you volunteer to help out for a worthy cause? Did you smile at someone who looked sad? Did you give words of encouragement to someone who is discouraged?
These things don't cost us a dime, but they are priceless.
If you want to feel better about yourself, do something for someone else. There are millions of little ways that we can step outside of ourselves, be a light of hope and demonstrate our love to others through our acts of kindness.
Ephesians 2:4-7(NIV) 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
Dear Lord,
I pray today that you make me mindful of opportunities to show kindness to others and that you fill me my heart with charity. I am grateful for the love and kindness you have shown to me and will show my gratitude to you through acts of kindness to others.
Amen.
"If you haven't any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble" Bob Hope
"Today I bent the truth to be kind, and I have no regret, for I am far surer of what is kind than I am of what is true." Robert Brault.
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