“A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1

“But the fruit of the Spirit is…kindness…” Galatians 5:22 (NKJV)

“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” -Mother Teresa

Words matter. Our words matter and can have a lasting impact on those around us! Kindness sometimes seems to be in short supply in our rushing, chaotic world. And because of that, when we encounter kindness, it stands out. We want to be those people that stand out from others because of our kind words!

When someone is unkind or judgmental toward us, it is easy to respond in a like manner. (And it is usually the first thing that pops into our minds! We are human after all.) But this is when we need to ask God for guidance so that we can be the person that demonstrates the spirit of kindness. A kind response may change that person’s day or help put them in a better mood. Or, it may even make them wonder what kind of person can be nice to them after what they said. As Christians, we have an opportunity to let Jesus Christ shine through us to “light” the world for others!

Kindness can be shown in many ways. It can be as simple as a smile to someone you pass in the grocery store aisle. It can be helping someone with a chore that they find very difficult.  (I love to offer to take a cart back to the store for an older person, a young mother with children, or the handicapped; they are typically very surprised!) It can be a note to let someone know you are thinking about them. It can be a phone call to check on a neighbor. It can be a kind word when one isn’t expected.

Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit, let’s spread the fruit and its seeds and see what sprouts in the world around us!

This week try to look for opportunities to be kind to others. When we are kind to others, we find that much of the time, they respond in “kind”. (Sorry for the pun, I couldn’t resist!)

I thank God for each of you! And I thank you for joining me today!