Kindness is Contagious
There’s been a lot of talk about contagion in the past couple of months. There’s no doubt about it, the COVID-19 virus is virulently contagious, and the world is reeling under its impact.
But there’s another kind of contagion spreading across the world.
Kindness.
On social media, we’re see glimpses of kindness in the form of neighbors caring for each other, people making masks for medical professionals, musicians sharing their talents to brighten the days of their friends and family, words of thanks for the people who are putting their lives, and their families, on the front line to continue providing essential services and especially medical treatment, and so much more.
It’s wonderful to see people responding to the challenges of this crazy time with generosity of spirit, love and old-fashioned kindness. The simple thoughtfulness of one person’s actions or words inspires me to reciprocate and pay it forward. It’s contagious.
A week or so ago I received a delightful card in the mail from a friend at work. It was totally unexpected, and the simple but thoughtful message was so kind it moved me to tears. She made me feel special. Better still, with this simple act of thoughtfulness, she was modeling kindness for her two little ones and creating a culture of kindness in her home.
“Kindness is powerful.”
Kindness is powerful. When we are kind we are being the best version of us - the person we were designed to be. God is kind. And we are made in His image.
Maybe that statement doesn’t sit well with you. Perhaps you were taught that God is angry and judgmental, ready to strike you down with a lightning bolt every time you do something wrong. Or maybe your experience of Christians has been the opposite of kind. I’m so sorry. Truly – that just make my heart sad. Like you, I’ve had my share of experiences with Christians who reflect poorly on God, and I’m ashamed to say that I’ve been guilty of it myself on more occasions than I care to admit. So, allow me to beg forgiveness for all the times I or someone else has given you the wrong understanding of God’s nature.
Because God truly is kind. Romans 2:4 says “Do you realize that all the wealth of his extravagant kindness[c] is meant to melt your heart and lead you into repentance?” (TPT). His kindness. Not his anger or disapproval. His extravagant kindness. Another way of saying it is that God’s kindness draws us to Him, creating a desire in our hearts to be a better version of ourselves - more like Him. That’s really what being a Christian is meant to be.
“...God’s kindness draws us to Him, creating a desire in our hearts to be a better version of ourselves - more like Him.”
Psalm 34 is probably my favorite Psalm. It’s the perfect Psalm to bolster your spirit during times like these. In verse 18 the Psalmist, David, makes the most wonderful statement, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” That sounds very kind to me.
And then there’s Psalm 56 verse 8 which says, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” I love the imagery of that. Our tears are so precious to our Lord that He treats them like a treasured possession.
These are just a few of the many Bible passages about the kindness of God. (If you are looking for a great Bible study, try doing a word search on the kindness of God.)
I’ll be the first to admit that kindness doesn’t come naturally to me. Which is why I need the help of the Holy Spirit to be kind. There’s a well-known passage in the Bible which talks about the fruit of the Spirit “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.” (Gal 5:22-23 (NIV)). What I cannot do in my own strength, I can do through the work of the Holy Spirit within me. He helps me be more like Jesus.
Not only is being kind aligned to who God created us to be, kindness is also good for us. When we are kind, it takes the focus off ourselves and places a higher value on the needs of others. It puts our circumstances into perspective and lifts us out of an inward focus, causing us to live selflessly. As we do this, our anxieties ease, our situation becomes less dire, and our hearts are encouraged. In the act of being kind, we are being kind to ourselves.
“In the act of being kind, we are being kind to ourselves. ”
Today is a great day to choose kindness. There’s no hard and fast rule to being kind, except that it is others focused, generous and considerate. If you’re not sure where to start, take to social media for some ideas, or better yet, ask God for some divine inspiration. I’m pretty sure He’ll deliver.
Here’s to a kinder you and me, and a kinder world.
