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Spiritual Sundays - Kindness For A New Year

At the beginning of each year, I ponder on a trait I would like to see developed more in my life. This year the thought has been 'kindness". If you have a pleasant personality, it is easy to be kind. But the type of kindness I am looking for is one that is deeply rooted in the heart and reflects outward in actions to others.
Recently a devotion came through my email and it was based on an excerpt from "The Love Dare" by Stephen & Alex Kendrick.
Kindness can be defined as "love in action." Love makes you kind. And kindness makes you likeable. When youʼre kind, people want to be around you. They see you as being good to them and good for them.
There are four basic core ingredients to kindness:
1. Gentleness: When kindness is ruling your heart, youʼre careful how you treat your spouse, never being unnecessarily harsh. Youʼre sensitive. Tender. Even if you need to say harsh things, youʼll bend over backwards to make your rebuke or challenge as easy to hear as possible. You speak the truth in love.
2. Helpfulness: Being kind means you meet the needs of the moment. If itʼs housework, you get busy. A listening ear? You give it. Kindness graces a wife with the ability to serve her husband without worrying about her rights.
3. Willingness: Kindness inspires you to be agreeable. Instead of being obstinate, reluctant, or stubborn, you cooperate, you stay flexible. Rather than complaining and making excuses, you look for reasons to compromise and accommodate.
4. Initiative: Kindness thinks ahead, then takes the first step. It doesnʼt sit around waiting to be prompted or coerced before getting off the couch. The kind husband or wife will be the one who greets first, smiles first, and forgives first. They donʼt require the other to get his or her act together before showing love. When acting from kindness, you see the need, then make your move. First.

It is difficult to demonstrate love when you feel little to no motivation. But love in its truest sense is not based on feelings. Rather, love determines to show thoughtful actions even when theyʼre seems to be no reward. You will never learn love until you learn to demonstrate kindness.

May the new year find us seeking ways to love and to be kind to one another!


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Comments

  1. Musings of A MinisterJanuary 3, 2009 at 3:36 PM

    Fantastic food for thought. My how we need more kindness in this old world. After reading your words I decided I must let it begin with me.

    ReplyDelete
  2. CharlotteJanuary 3, 2009 at 4:28 PM

    How important this subject is. I cannot imagine Jesus being unkind to anyone. We need to follow his example more. Thank you for this reminder.
    Happy 2009
    Charlotte

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ginger~~Enchanting CottageJanuary 3, 2009 at 4:37 PM

    I have to agree with Cliff, this world needs more kindness! Thank-you for such great post and that we can all try to be a little more kind.
    God Bless,
    Ginger

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousJanuary 3, 2009 at 8:24 PM

    Lord God, may all your children walk in the fruit of the spirit of kindness more and more everyday. Show us ways to be more kind. In Jesus' name. Amen.
    Blessings

    ReplyDelete
  5. RuthieJanuary 4, 2009 at 1:53 AM

    A great message for the new year.
    Blessings.
    Ruthie

    ReplyDelete
  6. SmilingSallyJanuary 4, 2009 at 7:07 AM

    I enjoyed reading this post. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  7. DebbieJanuary 10, 2009 at 10:04 PM

    Makes me think of that sunday school song "Be ye kind one to another tenderhearted forgiving one another... " Loved visiting your blog and hope to come back

    God bless,
    deb

    ReplyDelete

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