Faith along the way

I am blessed to have many kind people in my life and have encountered many kind people along the way. When you encounter kindness, doesn’t it warm your heart, make you smile, turn a bad day into a good day, or at least make your day somewhat better? I love stories about kindness. I love to read about them on social media or listen to someone’s testimony regarding a kind act shown to them. In turn, our kindness to someone along the way can uplift someone, make them smile, or turn a bad day into a good day. When we encounter kindness, we often find ourselves passing along kindness to others…paying it forward.

For believers in Christ, kindness is one of the qualities that can develop our faith as the Bible tells us in 2 Peter 1:5-9. We are to be diligent in this, which means to fully commit to it, to strenuously give ourselves to it. This will require us to take action on our part, to set it as a goal, to work toward it. It isn’t something that always comes easily to us. It will require effort on our part, prayer and guidance from the Lord, a steady diet of God’s Word, abiding in Him.

Brotherly kindness and love identify us as disciples of Christ, as told to us in John 13:35, and brotherly kindness and love leads to love for all mankind. That does not mean we have to agree with everyone, we don’t have to subscribe to the world’s doctrine, or entertain anything that is apart from the truth of God’s Word…but we are not to be mean, disparaging, hateful, or hurtful.

I am a huge advocate of setting healthy boundaries in your life. People don’t always have your best interests at heart, sad to say, so healthy boundaries can be a good thing. Boundaries are also a godly thing-after all, God has set many boundaries for us. His Word is filled with boundaries for us, to keep us safe, to help us live fruitful and productive lives, and maintain a close relationship with Him. Setting boundaries does not mean we are to be mean or spiteful about it. Even in establishing boundaries, kindness can prevail.

Our great God is abundant in kindness to His children and slow to anger (see Nehemiah 9:17). That is an attribute that we also need to strive to have as we relate to others and is not something that is easy in this world which is prone to selfishness, conflict, and people who often want their way and no other way.

Not everyone may be receptive to your kindness, unfortunately; however, that doesn’t mean we are exempt from trying. Don’t take it personally, shake the dust off your feet, and continue on along your faith journey.

A little kindness goes a long way. I pray that this encourages us to let kindness abound in our hearts and lives and may God’s blessings overflow in your life.

Jackie