“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” 1 Corinthians 13:4

“Be the living expression of God’s kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.” Mother Teresa

• It is time to meet with your merciful Savior!  Grab your Bible and find a peaceful, comfortable place.  Pray that the Lord would reveal Himself to you in a new way, that He would fill dry places in your heart with peace, and that you would be open to the areas in which He wants to grow you today!
• Read Matthew 22:37-40 and 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.  Write1 Corinthians 13:4 in your journal.

Kindness: Love in Action

Did you catch that, my friend?  Matthew 22:40 explains that – second to loving our Lord – loving others is the greatest commandment.  Showing love is so important that Jesus proclaims in John 13:35, “everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  The sign of a follower of Christ is his love for others!

I have to admit, however,  that “love” seems to be quite a vague term.  Thankfully, the Lord gave us 1 Corinthians to define love more clearly, particularly in verse four when He mentions that, “Love is kind.”  Kindness is steadfast love expressed in action. 1 John 3:18 exhorts, “let us not love [merely] in theory or in speech but in deed and in truth.”  While love may be the commandment we are given, kindness is the manifestation of that love!

Regardless of whether it comes naturally to us, kindness isn’t optional to the Christian life.  In fact, kindness is the operative work of the Christian life.  Because of God’s grace, our works, including kindness, are not a requirement to earn a relationship with God.  However, we do find that our demonstration of kindness is the sign that Christ is at work within us.  When the grace of Jesus delivers us, action begins to define us, and kindness is the action plan of God’s people!

Kindness is not a natural human reaction and must be developed through practice in order to minister to others in the name of our loving God.  However, just as we love because God first loved us (1 John 4:19), the kindness we show to others is an overflow of the kindness He has lavished upon us.  We can be kind in the same manner as Jesus when we follow His excellent example.

God loves well and shows His everlasting kindness abundantly to His children (Isaiah 54:10).  Nehemiah 9:17 explains that His kindness is merciful to us even though we do not deserve it.  Through His loving kindness, God promises unceasing forgiveness, compassion, and blessings.  This is the example of kindness we are called to show daily to others.

Dear mama, as a follower of Jesus your life should be marked by the action of kindness.  How will that kindness look in your daily life?  Mother Theresa gave brilliant advice when she said: “do small things with great love.”  Small acts of kindness can completely transform the lives of those around you. Don’t beat yourself up over your missteps; simply strive to do better.

There are thousands of opportunities to exhibit kindness to your loved ones each day.  Pray that the Lord would open your eyes to those opportunities.  Ask that He would give you the strength and energy to take extra small steps toward kindness.  In doing so, you will forever change your world and the lives of the sweet ones in it.  Bless the people in your life today by showing them the love and kindness of Christ!

Questions to Ponder

• Ponder the small kindnesses can you express today. How can you bring the heart of love through the action of kindness into your home?

Faith-Filled Idea

• Kindness brings peace and unity to a home.  It makes the family a safe haven from the storms of life.  There are many ways to encourage kindness among your children, but why not make it fun?  Here are a couple of ideas to positively motivate your children in the direction of kindness:

• Grow a Garden of Kindness – Buy a flower pot for each of your children and place the pots filled with soil in a sunny area.  Set out a bowl of seeds (large seeds are easier for little fingers to grab).  We have used wheatberries from the grocery store and sunflower or pumpkin seeds from the garden section; however, small flower seeds would produce beautiful plants.  When a child demonstrates kindness, encourage him to plant a seed in his pot.  Let your children take turns watering their seeds of kindness with a spray bottle of water.  Remind them that kindness grows in our heart when we water it with prayer and studying God’s Word.  It is fun to watch your little garden of kindness grow!
• Kindness Jar – Set a large jar and another container of objects such as marbles in a prominent area of your home.  Each time you catch your children being kind, they add a marble to the jar.  When they fill the jar, bless your children in a way that is meaningful to them.  Allow them to buy an inexpensive toy for one another, choose a fun family activity outside of the home, or a special treat to share together.

Give hope, prayer, and encouragement below. Post a comment & talk about it.

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Tara Davis

Hi! I’m Tara, a mama to three wild, wonderful boys on earth (and one tiny boy in heaven).

When you see someone has had a hand in writing a book for moms, you immediately assume they must have it all together. I do not. Maybe you don’t either. But I have some good news for you…we have a perfectly gracious Savior who loves us so very much, imperfections and all!

Together, we can learn who He is and who we are in Him, and together, we can take this one little life He has given us and pour out His love in a way that changes hearts, especially our own!

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