On Kindness

I used to think kindness was a sort of act of deference, being polite and gracious and willing to lend a hand to someone in need. But now I know it's much more than that. It isn't about being pleasant and charitable to strangers or those less fortunate. It's good to be those things, but true kindness is a lot more difficult and involved than sparing a few minutes to jump start someone's car. To experience true kindness, you must first experience being wronged -- it requires interaction not with a stranger having a rough day, but someone you know giving you a rough day.

True kindness isn't just forgiveness or love or grace, although those things are part of it. It is sacrificing yourself, time, resources, energy and position for the good of one who has hurt you deeply, whether your efforts are ever accepted and appreciated or not. It's not some special favor you do just once, but a persistent, quiet, joyful service that doesn't give up even when there's no return. If you want to follow the pattern of God's kindness, find someone who doesn't care that you exist, or would rather you didn't, and do something really over the top for that person just because you want to. That's what Jesus did.

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,

He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done,

but because of His mercy...

Titus 3:4-5