Scroll social media, and you will see countless posts about being kind. It’s the latest thing: be kind. But posting pictures of flowers telling everyone to be kind isn’t actually being kind. Kindness requires action. It’s like everything else these days. People find it much easier to type words and walk away than actually do what they are sharing about.
Kindness is more than a mindset – it should be a way of life. It means staying off your cell phone when you are having lunch with a friend and turning it off while you are at the movies. Seriously people…why bother going to see a movie if all you do is have your face in your cell phone (light shining in our eyes) the entire time!? Kindness definitely means you aren’t texting while you are driving! Put the damn phone down and drive!
Kindness is sending a funny card to brighten someone’s day “just because” and remembering birthdays and anniversaries. It is celebrating someone’s life victories and hugging them through disappointments and hurts.
Kindness is opening the door for someone whose hands are full and putting your grocery cart away when you are done. It is calling a lonely friend and spending time catching up. Kindness may mean you are inconvenienced, but you do it because you care. There can be no kindness without caring.
My question is this: if people don’t even care about their own well being, how can we expect any kindness? Many professionals are saying we have a self-hatred epidemic, and I believe it is at the root of much of the horrific behavior occurring in the world. We can search the ends of the earth for things that make us feel better about ourselves, but they will all leave us empty…and broke. The only way to find true inner peace and acceptance of ourselves is to know our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.
We are God’s children, and we are loved. However, if we do not accept Jesus Christ and His gift of eternal life, we will never know that deep-level love that allows us to see ourselves as He does: perfect.
When we allow God’s love to consume us, we are able to BE kind and loving to others. We become extensions of Him, and we cannot give what we don’t have. I say it again: we have a self-hatred problem going on, and the only answer is to seek the One who offers unconditional love. As Christians, we must model God’s love to others. We do this by small acts of kindness every day. It doesn’t have to be something big or major, and it can even just be a warm smile and kind word. Don’t pass up opportunities to be kind, and we should never be too busy to help others. If not for relationships, connection and community, what are we doing here?
If you find yourself posting and sharing that we should be kind, stop! Put your phone down and actually go be kind. The world needs more kindness, but more importantly, the world needs to know God’s amazing, transformational love.
Now, if thinking of doing just one more thing stresses you out, your life is out of balance. Burnout can sneak up on any of us, and you’ll need to do some work to get it back. My book, I Want My Life Back! helps you sort through your life, re-prioritize and find balance. With it, you will find that extra time to be a better human being.
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