Colossians 4:12,
“Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”

by: Melody Merritt

Kindness is seeking to meet the needs of others.  It is reflected when we are loving, considerate, gentle, and willing to go the extra mile for someone else.  Kindness could be described as showing personal care and concern for others’ needs.

Jesus calls us to love others in Matthew 22:39, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit that God wants to cultivate in each of us. “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23

There are three distinct elements of kindness: attitude, word, and action.  Kindness is a choice and improves how we feel.  Kindness has the power to encourage, inspire, restore, and bridge gaps when there’s conflict.

What are ways can we show kindness to others?

• Start with our families.
  • Listen to them.
  • Pray for them.
  • Serve them.
  • Look for ways to help them each day.
• Let kindness spill to others!
  • Check on friends. Call, text, or email.
  • Call one person each week whom we wouldn’t normally talk to.
  • Be a genuine listener and look for opportunities to fill a need.
  • Share meals together.
  • Send a handwritten note (studies show that people who write notes show fewer symptoms of depression and are more satisfied with life.)
  • Actively demonstrate kindness to our coworkers.

Practice random acts of kindness!  Let’s ask God to help us make authentic kindness a lifestyle.

Kindness is one of the best ways to show God’s love to others.  It doesn’t require much, yet when shown, it can make such a difference in another person’s day and life!