For various reasons, kindness has been on my mind lately. I've seen a couple of people I care about hurt recently. One situation was the result of someone being petty and small. One was the result of a handful of people being thoughtless (literally not giving thought to) in regard to another. One was just poor judgment on the part of one person toward another.
In my view, all of the people--petty, thoughtless, unwise--were unkind. Kindness, based on that verse up there, is a very conscious act. We're told to "put on" compassion and kindness. Have you ever accidentally put on a coat? Living in Texas, I rarely wear a coat, so when I do, it's because I chose to do so.
Don't you think kindness is the same sort of thing? Certainly kindness can become a habit, but the words and actions that result from kindness aren't accidents. They don't just happen. You choose kind words, whether in response to something or to prompt happiness in someone else. You choose to do a kind act for someone.
Kindness is often listed in the New Testament with other traits--fruits of the Spirit--such as humility, meekness, love, joy, peace, and so on. We hear about love all the time. Joy, peace, patience. But kindness kind of gets the short end of the stick, doesn't it? If the inspired writers of the Bible considered it on a par with love, why don't we?
I can sing about the fruits of the Spirit all day long, but if I'm picking and choosing the ones I want to exhibit and leaving others out, I don't really have the right attitude, do I?
FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
- Think of people who might need a kind word or act from you. List them, along with ideas to show kindness to them. (It doesn't have to be huge. A smile, a compliment, a cup of coffee ... a little kindness goes a long way toward making someone's day.)
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