The Book of Proverbs is a gift that keeps on giving. There are several verses in today’s passage that spoke to me. Verse 31 made me smile. I was noticing in the mirror today that my “roots” were starting to show again. I am stuck in a pattern of coloring my hair. It started before I had gray to cover. One of these days, I may just need to let it go for it says, “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life.” I’m covering up the proof of my godly life! Although, I’m not sure I’m ready to look in the mirror and see gray.
What really struck me even more today (than my own vanity, yes!) is how we treat others. With kindness. Does it seem to you that we have lost this virtue? What happened to the good old days when we were kind, thoughtful, generous, etc. to our neighbors and acquaintances? On one of the biggest social platforms out there, Facebook, I don’t see a lot of kindness these days.
It seems that Satan has taken hold of us and the results are bitterness, fighting, disagreements, bullying, revenge. We see division in politics like never before, we see grumbling in our churches, we see disrespect for authority all over the place, we see bullying in our schools, and I could go on and on. Where is the kindness?
Kindness is one of the “fruits of the Spirit.” When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, it’s one of the benefits that can grow inside us. It’s not an overnight fruit. Kindness is born when we are able to look beyond ourselves, meditate on the goodness of God and what he has done for us. Our spirit then is overflowing with grace and mercy, and kindness is a beautiful by-product of a godly life.
As a child, one of my favorite artists was Glen Campbell. He was a master guitarist and could he ever sing. He sang a long called “Try a Little Kindness” and you can listen HERE. I loved what Glen said about it, “Because when you’re kind, and you treat people kind, you get treated in kind.” This is a great song. It not only reminds us to be kind, but to let our light shine.
Now you’re probably thinking that I’ve totally over generalized this whole kindness thing. After all, you see kindness in the world. You may even be thinking of a kind deed you did for your neighbor, a co-worker, a friend, or loved one. That’s fantastic. Keep it up! Let’s get this kindness thing to catch on again!
Just for fun, I googled the keyword—“kindness is.” Do you know what came up? Kindness is contagious, kindness is free, kindness is magic, kindness is a muscle, among others. I’m not sure what being a muscle has to do with kindness. As it turns out, it’s a children’s song. Lyrics include working it out, flexing it every day. That’s a great reminder for all of us. I like the other results, too.
Verse 24 in our reading today says, “Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” When we are kind to others, the benefit goes beyond how we bless them. We are also blessed. To be kind, our hearts must sing in a certain way. It would seem being kind is a healthy solution for us, too! It’s like a bonus. That should be an incentive to be thinking from a perspective of kindness, shouldn’t it?
When you think of kindness being contagious, the act of “paying it forward” may come to mind. That’s when you do something kind for someone, hoping that they will do the same and do something kind for the next person. We aren’t kind to get brownie points. We are kind because of our genuine love for others. That’s kindness at its best.
How are you going to try a little kindness today?
Let’s pray … Lord, forgive me for not being as kind to others as I should be. Thank you for this good reminder that the words of my mouth should always be kind and focused on uplifting others rather than being negative and hurtful. I pray that being kind will become more of a natural thing for me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
