Kindness
is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.
Kindness
is encouraging, understanding, pure, patient, love, respect, compassion, and honesty.
It offers mercy and grace. It is warm and caring. It comes from the heart and
manifests in a good deed for another person.
Kindness
goes a long way and being shown kindness can turn a person’s life around. It
can take someone from the darkness and into the light. It offers hope, builds
confidence, and brings fire to the spirit. Kindness is a teacher as we learn to
be kind by receiving kindness.
Remember
when someone was kind to you? Were you perplexed and on guard…why are they
being nice to me? Or were you overjoyed to know that someone cared? Did you
feel worthy or unworthy?
Some
of us may have come from backgrounds where kindness was not very well lived out
in front of us or even offered to us. Others may have had very loving and kind
experiences.
We
have all been shaped by our experiences. If we were not treated with kindness
during our early formative years, it should be no surprise that we might
develop a brutal spirit as adults. Likewise, we can be negatively impacted if
we make it a habit to associate with peers who have no compassion or proper
regard for others.
Depending
upon where we came from, some of us have remained guarded for most of our lives
and have struggled to offer kindness for fear of getting bit. So how can we do
better and grow from this? What changes or practices do we need to make to be a
kinder person?
Sometimes,
there is a bit of healing that needs to take place first. Getting stuck in
bitterness is deadly. It will kill the spirit. Seek help and counseling to move
past disappointments and hurts so that you will be in a good place to offer
kindness, accept it from others, and recognize true kindness for what it is to
be…freely given. It is not a tool to get what you want.
Even
if you are not a Christian, the Bible offers great help and advice for living
life. The following verses contain some keywords to help us with the act of kindness.
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.
Demonstrate and Practice. 1 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’s plenty of good work to be done here.
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 judgment
without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Love your
neighbor as yourself and treat others how you wish to be treated. James 2:4
states that if we are partial, we become evil.
Be Kind as the Father. By being kind like our Father in Heaven, 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.”
God is the standard in kindness and
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.
One is kind when:
She is honest in her
dealings (Genesis 21:23)
She rewards good
received from another (Genesis 40:14)
She is sympathetic and
comforting (Job 6:14)
She exhibits honorable
behavior (Ruth 3:10)
She shares another's
burdens (1 Samuel 15:6)
She shows friendship (1 Samuel 20:15, 16)
She honors the dead (2 Samuel 2:5)
She is merciful toward
her enemies (2 Samuel 9:7)
She demonstrates
loyalty (2 Samuel 16:17)
She shows gratitude (1 Kings 2:7)
She has compassion (Jonah 4:2)
She is benevolent (Luke 6:35)
She is courteous (Acts 27:3)
She is hospitable (Acts 28:2)
To show genuine affection, love, and concern to
others and those you want to build a relationship with give
them priority, find common interests, don’t discriminate or judge, reveal
yourself gradually, accept where they are emotionally and intellectually, and
be willing to risk rejection.
Now go out there and be kind! ♥
Debra
Lee | Biz & Life Coach | Author | Keynote Speaker | Blogger
Books:
“It Is What It Is…But It Wasn’t A Tragedy” | “Making Wise Choices…the most
important life skill to master”
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