Simple Kindness

The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.

Proverbs 11:25

THERE ARE AS MANY WAYS TO show simple kindnesses as there are stars in the sky. A soldier and his mother are behind you in line for the cashier at the restaurant, and when they get to the cashier, you’ve already taken care of their bill. In the parking lot of the grocery store, you offer to take an elderly lady’s cart back inside. You decide to visit a fellow church member who’s been going through a rough spell. You have a basketful of groceries, and you allow someone with a carton of milk to go ahead of you in line. It can be as simple as holding a door open for someone.

Kindness doesn’t have to be a major production. More often than not, there’s no need for planning, strategy, or committee meetings. Some of the most sincere kindnesses take place at the spur of the moment. You see a chance to do something nice, and you take it! Pray that the Holy Spirit will give you eyes to see, and He will. Kindness and goodness are part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

The key here is simple. It may be easy to put money in the offering plate on Sunday, but it’s the attitude behind the gift that’s truly important. A truly generous heart seeks to do for others without any desire for recognition whatsoever, and it’s not just a once-in-a-while thing, either. It’s 24/7/365.

BOTTOM LINE

Whether the kindness is big or small, it’s the heart behind it that truly counts.

Moment of Strength: 2 Corinthians 9:6-8