In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus taught, ‘Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you’ (vv. 27-28 NIV). Then He added, ‘Your reward will be great’ (v. 35 NIV). God sees everything we do. Every time we choose to be kind, every time we act sacrificially. It’s easy to be kind to those who are kind to us, but being kind to those who are not kind back is really challenging. In order for us to try and be able to do this we need to grow in grace. God treats us with grace, and that’s how we need to treat others too. We’re called to ‘Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you’ (Ephesians 4:32 NIV). In 2009, Mark DeMoss launched a movement known as the Civility Project. Its pledge goes like this: ‘I will be civil in my public discourse and behaviour. I will be respectful of others whether or not I agree with them. I will stand against incivility when I see it.’ This is a great way to try and live. Respect and kindness go hand in hand. While we can’t control how other people act towards us, we’re responsible for our own actions and we can choose to meet all unkindness with respect and kindness. We can choose to be kind without expecting kindness back. Even one kind word can change someone’s day. ‘Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up’ (Proverbs 12:25).
What Now?
Who can you cheer up today? Send someone a kind text message. You never know, it may change their entire day.