Be a Little More Kind…

Often I’ve heard people say, “Life is tough.” However, it’s not life that is tough as life comes from God. What is tough is the world. The world and the systems of the world can be especially cruel. If my life is any representation of it, then I can assure you people are going through all kinds of things of which you aren’t even aware. People are struggling at times because of that universal opposition called darkness. The Bible says the adversary has made the world a wilderness. As such, good folks are dealing with all types of obstacles such as depression, fears and worries, health problems, financial threats and on and on and on. For this reason, it behooves us not to be quite so quick to judge people. We have no idea about the challenges they are facing. What people need from you and me is love, not a lecture. Problems are so easy to solve when they’re not our problems. None of us, thankfully, are in anyone else’s head. We have not walked in their moccasins. Even similar challenges are not the same challenges as every individual is unique. What terrorizes us may not terrorize them and vice versa. The point is, if you have ever screwed up or took a wrong path or got yourself into something crazy or painful or worse, then you know how difficult life can be while you’re in the midst of it. It is precisely at that time when people need your compassion. They need your empathy. The need the kind words you have inside and having received it, will make their life that much better. Why not be a little more kind?

The reason people find it so difficult to forgive is because they have forgotten that from which God has forgiven them. If you peel back all of the layers we are all little stinkers in our own right. We all like sheep have gone astray. We have all been negatively influenced into poor behavior and we all have some painful memories of our own foolishness. Knowing this we owe people a little more kindness. Sure people can be irritating. Some folks know just what buttons to push. Yet have you ever considered why they push your buttons? Have you given any thought to what might be going on inside of them; things you may never get to know about? It is so easy to lash out and respond with harshness, yet does that harshness ever make you feel good? It seems infinitely easier to not allow yourself to be drug down into the mud. There are certainly people in my own life that have “done me wrong” and in some cases very wrong. But, what is the benefit to me to dwell in that space? Let the Lord make things right. Who knows if that random act of kindness on your part makes all the difference in the world. I recall once when my dog escaped the yard and promptly went and deposited a turd in the neighbors yard. She came to my door guns blazing. Yet instead of calling her a “Karen” or else yelling some obscenities at her, I quickly inserted that my dog had escaped and I didn’t know he was out. I apologized and offered to come and clean it up immediately. As I spoke her face softened and she told me it was okay and to not even worry about it. I offered her kindness and her response was kind. That folks is how we are all wired. This dumb world we live in doesn’t have much kindness going on. It’s a rat race, yet we don’t have to function like rodents. Why not be a little more kind?

Kindness doesn’t have to be reserved for when trouble comes. Random kindness towards strangers can make their day. How about deciding to be “nice” to everyone you come into contact with? Regardless of their response, you are the one that is going to feel good. Yet, this is not what the world teaches and promotes. The world is hell bent on dividing us into pieces. We don’t like whole races of people. We think immigrants are rapists and drug dealers, forgetting we are all immigrants in some capacity. We judge people by how much money they have and foolishly conclude people with less resources are less than we are. We shun the workers and laud the executives. We find ourselves compelled to put people into categories in a desperate attempt to make someone lower than we are. It’s okay to not be on top as long as we are not on the bottom. The years have shown me that I really don’t know what a certain person is about until I get to know them. You don’t know either. Individually and collectively we have to break out of that mold; that pattern. You aren’t fighting the people, you are fighting the darkness hiding behind the people. And you don’t fight the darkness by playing by the same rules. The anger, the hatred, the fearful annoyance based on ignorance is cooperating with the world. It is being part of the problem while decrying the ills of the others. People oppose welfare until they need a helping hand. People are mad at government assistance until they need a program or a benefit. People preach the value in solving your own problems forgetting when someone else helped solve their problems. It seems the solution is to stop letting the world get you all riled up. The world is not a nice place, but that doesn’t stop you from being nice. The world only seeks its own, but you don’t have to do it. Why not be a catalyst for good? Why not be a little more kind?

The origin of all kindness is God. God loves the unlovable. God wills that none should perish. God loves you and me into loving ourselves. If there was anyone that could find fault in people it would be God. Yet, that is not how He functions. Instead He extends endless mercy and grace. He is willing to look past all of our self centered silliness and refuses to hold it against us. He knows we are human beings and He gives us a break; a thousand breaks. Why don’t we do the same? Why not take people where they are and love them anyway? None of us like to be judged so why not stop judging other people? For every annoyance they have, we have also. None of us is without fault and if we think we are we are being deceived. None of us is deserving of God’s goodness no matter how hard we might work. All that we have we have by the grace of God. So why not extend some of that goodness to other people? We are not in a competition with other people. We are in a competition against the darkness of this world. And we win that fight by refusing to assimilate and conform. Why not be a little more kind?

So you and I have a choice to make. Being kind doesn’t cost us a thing. We don’t do it as a reciprocation, we do it because it is the right thing to do. Hasn’t someone’s kindness greatly impacted you in this life? (Thanks Momma) Can’t you think of a person that loved you anyway? (Thanks Wifey) Can’t you recall the kindness of another person that changed and shaped your life? (Thank you Jon Ryan) If you want to break out of that negative rut, stop making it all about you and make it about someone else. Be the kindness you want in your life. “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Why not be a little more kind?

Just some good thoughts.