Just One Thing - The One Year Daily Acts of Kindness Devotional

Just One Thing

Don’t be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.

1 Corinthians 10:24

It can get a little discouraging at times to think about intentionally incorporating acts of kindness into your life every day. Kristin, Julie, and I often get asked how to do so on a consistent basis, and our response is always to just start where you are. We encourage people to look at the flow of their everyday lives and to begin incorporating kind acts into what they are already doing, at the places they normally go and with people they already know. It’s perfectly fine to start small, and this can empower you to do even more.

Once you’ve begun to see how easily kind acts can be accomplished with just a little intentionality, ask yourself these questions: Where do my passions lie? What stories move me? What issues make my heart beat fast? Maybe for some it’s combating hunger; for others it’s issues such as homelessness, child abuse, clean water, refugees, orphans, or education. The list of things we could be passionate about is endless, and each of these issues is dear to God’s heart.

God has given each of us a desire to see the world become a better place, but it can be overwhelming if we try to care about everything at once. Start with just one cause or concern, something you are already passionate about, and go from there.

Thinking of others is God’s intention as well, as he tells us not to be concerned for our own good but for the good of others. God may even surprise us with what he’ll do if we’re willing to just take the first step toward intentional kindness right where we are. When we begin to put the concerns of others at the forefront of our minds, we open the door for God to work through us. Who knows where it may lead?

—Kendra

— Today’s Act of Kindness —

Do one act of kindness that is already within the flow of your everyday life or that utilizes a passion you already have.