“A gentle answer turns away wrath,” the wise man tells us in Proverbs 15:1. For the same reason, kindness can cause misunderstandings and mistrust and hostility to be easily resolved.
People tend to respond to you in a way that reflects how you respond to them. When we were living in Romania, we observed that a lot of Romanians on the street would not look up, would not make eye contact, would not smile as they were walking down the street. They would be friendly toward you, if you showed them friendliness.
Family, God didn’t put people on this earth to be laughed at. I had a friend named Ray, in college who was easy to poke fun at. And I did. I won’t tell you what I laughed at because it embarrasses me to even think about it, much less talk about it. But before my conscience caught up with my wickedness several years after graduation, I heard that he had died of cancer. I can never apologize to him for not practicing kindness. God put people on this earth to be cared for. People with loving hearts know that; people who love like Jesus loves, know that.
Why can’t people think a little about how their actions affect others? Most of us — just don’t think! When we don’t put our brains into gear before we put our mouths into motion, we end up being rude to other people.
Listen to the words of God’s spokesman: “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you” (Eph 4:32).
In Philippians 2:3-5, Paul wrote again: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.”
Here is how to live love and kindness: Put your feet into the other person’s moccasins. Jesus said, “Treat others the way you want them to treat you” (Matt. 7:12). Simply put, that requires us to be sympathetic.
In Romans 12:10, Paul wrote: “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor.”
Let’s us practice the art of loving by being kind to those around us. Each individual is made in the image of God.
Paul Holland