This week, let talk about “kindness”. There are different things that can be done in order to grow in our relationship with God. I have mentioned praying and reading the Bible. Another thing we can do as we try to grow closer to God is simply being kind to others. In 1969, country singer Glen Campbell recorded a song that talks about this very act. The song is “Try a Little Kindness”. In the song, Campbell talks about helping those we see who are struggling, not ignoring those who are down and shining our light for others to see.
God tells us in the Bible that we are to practice kindness. In Galatians 5:22-23, there is a list given of actions that are shown by allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us as we deal with those around us. One of the words on that list is kindness. While the song may not have been written with this verse in mind, it does share the same meaning.
When the words were penned by Paul to the church at Galatia, he talked about actions that just naturally come forward when a person is in Christ. When Christ lives within the heart of a person, these words on the list will be seen. Kindness will be shown to others, not to put ourselves down, but to lift God up. The Bible is clear that we are to let our light shine for others to see. The words of the song say the same thing. “Shine your light for everyone to see.” What is the light? It is Christ himself. When we are kind to others around us, Jesus Christ is seen through our actions. When we show Christ through our kindness, we are showing that we are living a life of closeness to God. So how can we be kind in today’s world? We live in a time when it seems to be easier to be mean than it is to be kind. So, what should we do?
One thing we need to understand is that we can’t fix the world’s issues. The only thing we can do is make sure we are being kind. We can only be responsible for our kindness. What are some things we can do to show kindness? We can make sure we encourage one another. We can make sure we compliment people instead of belittling them. We can try our best to smile more than we frown. We can try to say “thank you” more for things, even small things, people do for us. We can even listen to someone who is hurting. These are all acts of kindness that can help us shine our light so the world will see Jesus. Kindness is a simple word, with simple actions.
Peace and Blessings.. Johnny Richards
(Reprinted from August 15, 2022)
