THE GOLDEN RULE and KINDNESS MATTERS
Matthew 7:12
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Or as Luke 6:31 simply states, do to others as you would like them to do to you.
All it takes is to show kindness, respect, and goodwill towards others for the world to become a better place and for you to become a better person.
I had planned today to do the devotion that I had for last week when I wasn’t able to be here because I was sick, but as I was going through my notes I noticed that today marked the end of the 40 days of kindness. For those of you who weren’t here, this started during Lent and we had been discussing how different religions practice giving up something during Lent. It may be something as simple as giving up chocolate or soda’s or maybe even trying to be a better person by not arguing all the time, whatever it is you do it for the 40 days. Pastor Twyla and I discussed it and decided that rather than giving up something that we should instead focus on being a better person, practicing random acts of kindness and between the two of us we came up with a list of things to consider doing for our 40 day period. Many of them were things that are fairly common, things that we should be doing throughout our daily lives but in our ever changing world, kindness is something that is often overlooked. And that 40 days does not have to fall during Lent. Look at your calendar, pick a day, any day and say “that’s the day, the day I start my 40 days of kindness”. I think you will be surprised to find that those days grow to 50 days maybe 60; after all, good habits are hard to break.
I looked back over the list as I was writing this and found I did pretty good with some of the suggestions, as that was what they were suggestions. A foundation to get us started. I still have room for improvement as we all do, but it sure feels good to know that I’m trying to make a change.
Romans 12:13
When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
For some of us, our children have grown up, and we can only hope that we instilled in them the importance of doing for others. We hope that offering a kind word or action not only makes them feel good about themselves but also allows the person receiving it to feel the goodness in the person giving it. I pray that our grandchildren are being taught these same values and that they can put down their electronic devices, take out their earbuds, and look up to see the people and the world around them would appreciate such a simple gesture as a smile, a warm greeting, or a good deed.
Our younger generation will be taking over someday when we are gone, I guess we should warn them that the road we travel is never easy and the burdens are many but the one constant in life is that our Lord Jesus is always with us. When it seems to be too much and life just gets in the way, pray; pray for help, pray for guidance, pray for strength. And remember to spread kindness wherever you go, a smile goes a long way.
1 John 3:18
Dear children, let’s not nearly say that we love each other, let us show the truth by our actions.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Or as Luke 6:31 simply states, do to others as you would like them to do to you.
All it takes is to show kindness, respect, and goodwill towards others for the world to become a better place and for you to become a better person.
I had planned today to do the devotion that I had for last week when I wasn’t able to be here because I was sick, but as I was going through my notes I noticed that today marked the end of the 40 days of kindness. For those of you who weren’t here, this started during Lent and we had been discussing how different religions practice giving up something during Lent. It may be something as simple as giving up chocolate or soda’s or maybe even trying to be a better person by not arguing all the time, whatever it is you do it for the 40 days. Pastor Twyla and I discussed it and decided that rather than giving up something that we should instead focus on being a better person, practicing random acts of kindness and between the two of us we came up with a list of things to consider doing for our 40 day period. Many of them were things that are fairly common, things that we should be doing throughout our daily lives but in our ever changing world, kindness is something that is often overlooked. And that 40 days does not have to fall during Lent. Look at your calendar, pick a day, any day and say “that’s the day, the day I start my 40 days of kindness”. I think you will be surprised to find that those days grow to 50 days maybe 60; after all, good habits are hard to break.
I looked back over the list as I was writing this and found I did pretty good with some of the suggestions, as that was what they were suggestions. A foundation to get us started. I still have room for improvement as we all do, but it sure feels good to know that I’m trying to make a change.
Romans 12:13
When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
For some of us, our children have grown up, and we can only hope that we instilled in them the importance of doing for others. We hope that offering a kind word or action not only makes them feel good about themselves but also allows the person receiving it to feel the goodness in the person giving it. I pray that our grandchildren are being taught these same values and that they can put down their electronic devices, take out their earbuds, and look up to see the people and the world around them would appreciate such a simple gesture as a smile, a warm greeting, or a good deed.
Our younger generation will be taking over someday when we are gone, I guess we should warn them that the road we travel is never easy and the burdens are many but the one constant in life is that our Lord Jesus is always with us. When it seems to be too much and life just gets in the way, pray; pray for help, pray for guidance, pray for strength. And remember to spread kindness wherever you go, a smile goes a long way.
1 John 3:18
Dear children, let’s not nearly say that we love each other, let us show the truth by our actions.
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