Kind words do not naturally flow out of my mouth. I’m quick to speak my opinion, to respond without really listening, and to say what I want to say without thinking through how my words impact the person listening. Especially at a time like this. Tensions are high and fear is pressing in. It’s easy to see the chaos going on around us and within us and to revert to “self-preservation mode” with giving little thought to others.
Choosing kindness is not our natural bent as humans.
On a good day, none of us are prone to quick-listening, putting others first, denying ourselves, or anything along those lines. We are bent towards the opposite. That is why God has so much to say about this topic in His Word. He knows that our struggle is real. He knows we desperately need His strength to reflect kindness to those around us.
Especially right now.
With the Coronavirus causing so much uncertainty, we have the opportunity to show the love of Christ to those around us in a unique way. Praise the Lord for Jesus’ work on the cross. Praise the Lord for the power of the Holy Spirit living within us. Praise the Lord for the clear instruction in God’s Word.
Kindness is a quality I desperately want to grow right now.
I want to be a kind woman. I want others to feel encouraged when they’re around me. I want to choose to show kindness to the people that are easy for me to love and the people that are hard for me to love. I want kindness to be a quality that God develops in me so that it will overflow no matter the circumstance.
Join me in growing in kindness this week. Ask God to change your heart and help you to reflect a heart of kindness to every person you interact with (whether in person or online). Ask Him to change you from the inside out so that kindness overflows even when you’re interacting with someone difficult.
10 Verses to Help You Choose Kindness Right Now
1. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32
2. My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. James 1:19
3. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. Proverbs 31:26
4. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
5. Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Colossians 3:12-15
6. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12:18
7. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4
8. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29
9. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Romans 12:10
10. The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit. Proverbs 15:4
Meditate on and memorize these verses to help your heart focus on the truth.
It will take a combination of God’s great grace and power to change our naturally selfish hearts. I know that God is able to do abundantly more than we could ever ask or think. I would love to see Him change me into a much kinder and more loving woman. I would love for my words to be sweet to those who hear them right now.
In the midst of so much pain, confusion, and loss, may our words bring gospel-hope to those around us!
If you’d like to join me in working on kindness, leave a comment below. Let’s pull together and pray for one another during this uncertain time! With God’s help, we can become kinder women who love others selflessly starting today.
PS It’s easy to give into fear during a hard time like this. I encourage you download our beautiful free printable verse sheet that has 15 powerful verses to help you find hope during this hard time. Click here to download it now.
