Acts of Kindness

The King will answer, “whether you did it for any of My people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for Me.” Matthew 25:40 CEV

The Random Acts of Kindness movement is intriguing. Its founders encourage us to reach beyond our normal, every day responsibilities and obligations to ‘spontaneously’ do “little” acts of special kindness for others. Examples include such things as letting the person behind you in the line at the market go ahead of you; paying the parking garage fee for the person next in line; going into an ice cream store and paying for an ice cream cone for the next 1, 2, or 6 children who come in; going to a nursing home to see what you can do for one person; offer to run errands/do grocery shopping for an ill neighbor; compliment someone on an article of clothing or on a job we done. The list is endless.

In two separate Bible studies which I attend, discussion has arisen concerning what we as Christians might do to demonstrate our love and caring to a society in pain. Could random acts of kindness be a start? If each of us asks God on a daily basis for an opportunity to show an extra kindness to at least one person, would it change the world, our city, our neighborhoods, workplace, school or home? Could it counteract one random act of violence? I don’t know, but we don’t have to worry about that because the results are in God’s hands.

Each time we show God’s love to someone in this manner, several things occur:

• at least one individual is helped in some way;
• we are following Jesus’ teachings (see scripture);
• our faith is strengthened;
• we are proclaiming and demonstrating God’s love

How could we go wrong – it seems that the return on our investment of only a little energy and time could be limitless. Why not give it a try?

Dear God,

Thank You for the opportunity to show Your love to others. Guide us into opportunities and situations that allow us to do this on a daily basis. Amen

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Reprinted with permission of N. Fish from Monday, March 30, 1998 essay in St. Mark Presbyterian's Lenten Devotions, 1998.