Why Be Kind?
Why Be Kind?
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:21, NIV
Tim and I tumbled through the door of the coffee shop together on a chilly winter morning. We were on the cusp of our proposed year of kindness, and I was determined to get off to a good start.
As we looked around the shop for someone to bless, we spotted him. Fully dressed in his state trooper uniform, he sat at a corner table with a mug cupped between work-worn hands, visiting quietly with a woman. “Let’s get him a gift card,” I suggested. Nodding, Tim strolled to the counter and purchased the gift card and our drinks, then headed toward the trooper.
Finding a seat at another table, heart thumping, I glanced over to see my usually unflappable husband’s smile falter a bit. Eventually, he made his way to me. Excited to hear how the conversation went, I was instantly deflated when Tim told me the trooper seemed dismissive of the gift, accepting it only after my husband insisted. The rejection stung.
His casual dismissal could have thrown us off track as we began our year of kindness. In that moment, it would have been easy to think, Well, if that’s the way it’s going to be . . . forget it. I don’t need the humiliation of a stranger’s rejection.
Though I’ve never turned down a gift card, I know I’ve rejected other acts of kindness. I’ve deflected compliments and turned down offers of help. In our moment of rejection, as uncomfortable as it felt, we were forced to ask ourselves the question: Why be kind?
As I thought about the question later, I was reminded of this truth: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Our willingness to be kind shouldn’t be predicated on how someone else will respond; rather, it should stem simply from knowing that God desires for us to be kind. God sees our hearts, and our kindness is pleasing to him.
— Today’s Act of Kindness —
Think of a time when you didn’t thank someone for a kindness he or she extended to you. If you can, reach out and thank this person now.
From the book
