Passage of the Day:
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you. 32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful, Luke 6:27-36.
Reflection:
Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Meanwhile, biblical kindness is taken to a new level where God’s love is extended through acts of the Holy Spirit. Upon moving to South Carolina from Delaware in 2022, I noticed locals refer to southern hospitality. Complete strangers in my neighbor stop to say hello and chat, others wave at you in passing and overall, there is a spirit of kindness that exists within the lives of most South Carolinians. Meanwhile, as I commute over an hour to work each day, it took six months to receive the middle finger whereas in Delaware this was a daily occurrence.
Prayerful Action:
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you, Ephesians 4:32.
Building Up Bible Believing Behavior:
The apostle Paul associates kindness with compassion and forgiveness. Meanwhile, the final six of the Ten Commandments are a guide to being kind and considerate toward fellow citizens in society. Although this Do Not List of standard expectations is often given a negative connotation, the fruits of the Spirit provide specifics details of how you should act and live your lives daily, Galatians 5:22-23. Kindness is a decision that you make when you wake up each morning to love your neighbor as yourself, Mark 12:31. When human beings begin to treat others as they want to be treated, following the golden rule, kindness becomes contagious.
Song of the Day:
The lyrics of Steven Curtis Chapman’s song Kindness provides a what if imagine of how God desires for Christians to live the love of Jesus in our world daily. May today’s song inspire you to display the Christian behavior of kindness.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 