Kindness - June 14 2007

As we offer ourselves as living sacrifices it should make a difference in some way to those we come into contact with.

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs; what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:14-17

How alive is our faith? It is very easy to beat ourselves up about not doing enough.
I like to think that I’m a ‘kind’ person. One problem I have is not always (rarely?) recognising when kindness is needed by others, not always being aware of what is going on around me (it’s a man thing apparently). Even when I do realise there is a need, then sometimes there’s a delay before any response appears on my part. So although I may see myself as a kind person I’m not that good at showing kindness to others.

You may be like me, or you may be someone gifted by God to show kindness to others without a second thought. We can all try to show more kindness and love than we currently do. A small change from each of us adds up to a very significant difference; a bigger change, well who knows…

God can help at each step of the process; seeing the need, recognising the need, acting on that recognition whether by kind words or actions, large or small.

Make a conscious effort today to show kindness to others where normally you might not, and then make a habit of it.

Blessed is he who is kind to the needy. Proverbs 14:21b

Amen