” Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. “
~Leo Buscaglia
Kindness is encouragement, understanding, pure, patient, love, respect,
compassion, honest, and it offers mercy and grace. It is warm and caring. It
comes from the heart and manifests itself in a good deed for another person.
Kindness goes a long way and being shown kindness can turn a life around.
It can take someone from the darkness and into the light. It offers hope,
builds confidence, brings a fire to a spirit. Kindness is a teacher. We learn
to be kind by receiving kindness.
Some of us have come from backgrounds where kindness was not lived out very
well in front of us or even offered to us. Others had very loving and kind
experiences. As a child, I was one who was not always treated well by my pears,
teachers and other adults because of who I was, the daughter of the county sheriff.
We all have been shaped by our experiences. If we were not treated very
kindly during our formative years, it should be of no surprise that we could
develop a brutal spirit as adults and develop a lack of trust. Likewise, if we
associate with peers as adults who are known to be without compassion or proper
regard for others, that spirit will also influence us.
Depending upon how severe we have been mistreated, many of us end up being
guarded most of our lives and have struggled to offer kindness to others for
fear of getting bit. What steps can we take to move past this guardedness, learn how to
trust again and work towards being a kinder person?
Believe it or not, the first step is to make a conscience choice
to be kind to others, and we must make that choice daily. Let's look at what scriptures say.
1) Clothe
Ourselves. Colossians 3:12
states that we are to clothe (or endow) ourselves
with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Galatians 5:22
Tells us that the fruit of the spirit
(or the nine attributes of a Christian Life) is love, joy, peace,
forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
2) Demonstrate
and Practice. I John 3:18 tells
us not to love with words or speech but
with actions and in truth. (“in truth” shows that we are disciples and
belong to God) Action is essential.
1 Corinthians 13:4 says that love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy,
it does not boast, it is not proud. Kindness
is a virtue that is to be practiced. There are plenty of good works to be
done.
3) Kindness
is not Partial. James 2:1-9 talks
about favoritism being forbidden. We
are to treat everyone the same. Poor and rich. V 13 states that judgement
without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Love your
neighbor as yourself, treat others as to how you would wish to be treated.
James 2:4 states that if we are partial, we become evil.
4) Be
Kind as the Father. By being kind
like our Father, we show that we are
truly his children. Matthew 5:44-45 “Love your enemies and pray for those
who persecute you, that you may be
children of your Father in heaven.”
Test
Yourself - Signs of a Kind Person
1.
honest dealings (Genesis 21:23)2. rewards good received from another (Genesis 40:14)
3. sympathetic / comforting (Job 6:14)
4. honorable behavior (Ruth 3:10)
5. shares burdens (1 Samuel 15:6)
6. shows friendship (1 Samuel 20:15, 16)
7. honors the dead (2 Samuel 2:5)
8. merciful toward enemies (2 Samuel 9:7)
9. demonstrates loyalty (2 Samuel 16:17)
10. shows gratitude (1 Kings 2:7)
11. has compassion (Jonah 4:2)
12. benevolent (Luke 6:35)
13. courteous (Acts 27:3)
14. hospitable (Acts 28:2)
God is the standard in kindness and
in His kindness is constant.
Isaiah 54:10 “Though the mountains be shaken, and the hills be removed, yet my
unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed.”
says the Lord, who has compassion on
you.
Time to Practice!
Make that daily choice to be kind to everyone. Yes, even the ones you don’t
want to be nice to... (did you not read the scripture above?!) just saying!Be willing to risk
rejection. Remember, not everyone is going to take advantage of your kindness
or reject you. If they do, they own that baggage, not you. Move on!
Watch what you post on social media. Social media makes it too easy to be
unkind. It’s very easy to share unkind memes and posters with a click of a
button. Some feel that they are invisible by posting bad stuff. Remember, God
see’s your intent and your heart.
Review the emails that you write before you send them, how is the tone and
how could the email be perceived.
Practice good social graces, always. SMILE! It’s inviting.
Step out of your bubble and do a random act of kindness! Go ahead, you’ll
be surprised at what happens! I promise!
Demonstrate genuine
affection, love, and concern to others and to those you want to build
relationships with. Give them priority, find common interest, don’t
discriminate or judge, reveal yourself gradually, and accept where they are at
in their lives.
Your choice to do acts of
kindness will have an impact in a world
that is not always kind. And in a world where we have the choice to be anything…be
kind.
From “Making Wise Choices
Lecture Series”
By Debra Lee,
Author/Speaker
“It Is What It Is…but it
wasn’t a tragedy” and “Making Wise Choices…the most important life skill to
master”
