How kind are we?

            How do we feel when we do good work? Many feel a rush of joy and peace in their hearts when we do kind acts. The ability to be kind and empathize with other human beings is because God, in His goodness, allows us to feel His essence. Psalm 36:5-7 “Your love, Lord, Reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals. How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.”

This passage shows me God’s great mercy, unfailing love for us, justice, and protection. No matter who we think we are, His love is forever and forms part of everything, and it is for everyone. Sometimes we might take the act of waking up alive each day for granted. The sun that rises every morning without our effort. The Lord shows us His kindness and mercy every day that we wake up ready to continue the race. Each day is a new and new opportunity to reflect on how to know Him better by abiding by prayer and reading His word. Not doing these tasks out of religiosity but out of pursuit, acknowledging that we must read his term of life to know him. “Blessed rather are those who hear and obey the word of God.” Luke 11:28.

These two actions of daily prayer and reading the word of God are essential to our survival as Christians. It is vital to pursue Jesus to know how to show kindness to others. Some people do not know Jesus but are morally correct. But remember, we live to praise and glorify Christ Jesus, and if our daily walk is not showing the fruits of the spirits, we should reexamine our purpose, minds, and focus. Jesus exemplifies love, kindness, joy, perseverance, humility, goodness, peace, tolerance, and self-control. It is beneficial for us to do good and engage in work that positively impacts someone’s life. Drevitch explains that “studying empathy today is like studying polar ice: Each year, we discover more about how valuable it is, just as it recedes all around us.” Having empathy and showing kindness to others feels like something supernatural; it feels good inside the heart, and the soul fills with joy every time we connect with someone. Studies found that “members of Life After Hate, a group of ex-white supremacists, found that exposure to individuals from groups they once tormented changed their opinions not only about those people but also about themselves (Psychology today). God is phenomenal! He works in the lives of those that do not even know Him personally. We hear the phrase, “God works in mysterious ways,” He does turn everything set for evil into good. Their hearts changed, and they started to perceive other people with the eyes of love. because everything good comes from the Lord.” But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23.

 “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices, God is pleased.” (Hebrew 13:16). Researchers found that the more people develop the skill of empathy, the more they show acts of kindness towards other individuals. God has proven throughout His word that the more compassionate we are, the more we can contribute to the betterment of this world in connection to human relations. Every good work that we do is because of who God is. If there is still some goodness on this earth is because of God. God is Love. We cannot do anything right unless God puts the desire in our hearts to do good. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8). However, first love God, and He will know you. “But whoever loves God is known by God.” (1 Corinthians 8:3).   Lord God, touches our hearts to serve the community and reach others with his kindness, to focus on other’s people needs rather than ours. Help us connect with others and see them for whom they are without making judgments. Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of salvation.

In Jesus’ name, Amen