“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud”

1 Corinthians 13:4

I don’t think it’s coincidental that all these are in the same single verse of scripture.

I’ve been noticing lately, in the world around me, how much we lack kindness. A helping hand when someone is struggling. A gentleman to hold the door for the ladies. A simple “thank you” or “have a good day”. All these things are few and far between, but I don’t think they should be.

“So, Megan, what do you want us to do about that?”

Well, I’m so glad you asked! Today I want to talk about cultivating a culture of kindness. (Nice alliteration!)

As women of God and daughters of a King, we should live our lives above reproach and in a way that glorifies Him. Part of that is living our lives in a kind way.

When people think of kindness, they often think of saying please and thank you. That’s the easy part of being kind. Being mannerly. But people tend to fall short when it comes to going the extra mile. When scripture says that love is patient and kind, it also says that love is not jealous, boastful, or proud.

If love is kind, then showing kindness is showing love. Not to be recognized or to say we did something good, but because it’s the right thing to do. Because we love other people.

“But, Megan, what about all those jerks out there who are never going to be kind to me?”

Here’s the tricky part, guys. Jesus never put conditions on being kind. In fact, in Luke, He says this:

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.”

Luke 6:35 (NLT)

If God is kind to the ungrateful and the evil, and we are His children, shouldn’t we follow in His footsteps?

You see, kindness isn’t about what we get in return. Kindness is about bringing Heaven to Earth. When we are kind, when we go that extra mile to help someone who needs help, our light shines bright and we stand out.

We aren’t a people meant to blend in with this culture, in this world. We’re supposed to be the shining light in the darkness around us. So what if that person may not thank you or give you a huge reward? Won’t your heavenly reward be that much greater for all the times you portrayed your Savior?

If God can show kindness to the evil, why can’t we show kindness to our neighbors? Maybe even that stranger in the grocery store. The short one who can’t reach the shelf. Or the one who looks completely lost. Toss a smile to people who pass you by. You don’t know how far your kindness will go or whose life it will touch.

Besides all that, did you know that most marriage failures can be traced back to a lack of courtesy to one another? If you’re looking to get married in the future, cultivating kindness in your life is an excellent habit to start now.

In my life, kindness has been my greatest means of witnessing Jesus to others. Because, honestly, who smiles that much? Who gives so much of themselves and expects nothing in return? Why would they do that?

Let’s cultivate kindness in our own lives so it can spread to others. Let’s be the start of a movement that brings joy back to a floundering generation.

Are you with me? I’d love to hear your thoughts on cultivating kindness in the comments below!